Constant Craving
by mllezeau
Summary: Christian Grey's biggest secret is out, and the entire world knows all about his kinky ways. He sees a young brunette working in his building and he's immediately intrigued. All of his days and nights are now consumed with thoughts of the blue eyed beauty. What lengths will he go through to make her his?
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

ALL CREDIT BELONGS TO ELJ

 **This is not a new story. This is my submission for the very first Sisterhood challenge. I'm going to continue this story and wanted to re-post my first chapter. For those of you who have already read this as a one shot, more chapters are coming soon. To those who are just now discovering this, I hope you enjoy it.**

I wake up with a start. It takes me a minute to realize that I'm in my new bedroom in my new house on the sound. I sit up in the bed, soaked in sweat and my heart beating fast.

It was a dream that woke me up, but this time, it wasn't one of my usual nightmares. For the past three months, ever since I first laid eyes on her, all I do is think of her. When I'm awake she's on my mind. When I'm asleep, she's in my subconscious. I still work and run my empire, I workout, I eat, I interact with others, but throughout all of that, I think of her. All day. Every fucking day. She's on my mind, in my head, consuming all of me.

I remember the first I saw her. I remember every second of her. Every moment where we've inhabited the same space, I remember every bit of it. It was the last day of March. Taylor normally parks in the garage, and we'll take my private elevator directly to the twentieth floor where my office is located.

On that last day of March, there was construction in the garage and no one was allowed to park there for the entire day. I remember letting out a string of profanities at the inconvenience. I had a conference call in half an hour and I had no time to waste. I informed Taylor that he could drop me off at the front of the building, and I would go to my office on my own while he parked the car in the back of the building.

I remember it was pouring rain that morning. I was too impatient to use an umbrella and I got damp by the time I walked inside the building. It was the start of the workday and the lobby was full of employees. I ignored all the heads that turned to look at me. Ever since the so called scandal, I get lots of looks. It's been six fucking months, and I still get the looks, followed by the whispers. It bothered me at first, but I don't give a shit anymore. I don't care about the looks from strangers and their misconceptions about my life. I do care that my own mother hasn't made eye contact , but that's a separate issue.

As I was walking towards the elevator, I made a quick glance to my right. The GEH lobby has rented out a space to a coffee shop. It's only been opened a month, and we've catered some of our breakfast meetings from them, but I've never gone there personally. Why would I? I have people to cater to my slightest whim.

As I approached the shop, all I saw was a mass of brown hair as she was hunched over wiping down something on the counter. For some reason, I stopped walking. I don't know what caused me to stop, but I couldn't take another step right then if my life depended on it. When she finished wiping, she stood up straight and I got my first look at her face.

She looked young. Very young with flawless, pale skin. Her brown hair reached just past her shoulders, and framed her face. I stood here motionless as she put her bottom lip between her teeth and put a stray piece of hair behind one ear. When a line starts to form at the counter, she begins to take orders. I stand there a little bit longer and watch as she smiles and laughs with some of the customers. I feel this jolt to my system at the sight of her smile, and I think my heart actually stopped beating at the sound of her laugh.

Despite the fact that I needed to get ready for my conference call, I get in the back of the line. Imagine that! Christian Grey standing in line. And for some processed, enriched bleached flour and sugar, no less.

It takes me seven minutes to get to the front of the line, and in that time, Taylor has called twice, probably to ask where the fuck I am. I decided to ignore his call. When I get to the counter, I almost drop my briefcase. Her skin was absolutely flawless, and has a porcelain like look to it. It takes a lot of effort for me not to reach out and touch her face, to kiss her and to whisk her back to my house and claim her as mine.

And her eyes! The bluest and clearest eyes I've ever seen. They remind me of the color of the ocean, and just like the ocean, I knew I would become lost in them.

"Can I help you?" She asks. I don't know what an angel sounds like, but I imagine they sound like her. I lock eyes with her and I try to force a smile. She gives me a smile in return. It's not a genuine smile. It's one of those professional smiles you put on your face so you can get through a meeting or a work function. I'm glad that she's giving me a professional smile, because if she was standing in front of me right now and giving me a genuine smile, I don't know how I would be able to contain myself.

I hear a small gasp, and see a blush across her cheeks before she breaks eye contact with me.

Yup. She recognized me. Fucking great.

Now she was looking anywhere but at me. Just great! Fucking scandal strikes again.

I lost my train of thought for a minute and completely forgot what the hell I'm doing in this line. I clear my throat and place my order.

"One blueberry muffin and a large black coffee, please." I have no intention of eating the damn muffin. I work too hard on my body to fill it with that poison. I hate to waste food, so hopefully Taylor will eat it.

She turns around and gets my order before ringing me up.

"Ana, are those the muffins you baked this morning? They smell good," some guy who just came from the kitchen area. I watched as he wrapped an apron around his waist before going to stand in front of the register.

"They are," she says as she hands me the bag with the muffin and the coffee. Our hands accidentally touch, and I feel a spark of electricity from my hand all the way through the rest of my body. She must feel it too, because I see her eyes widen right before she rubs her hand on her apron.

She looks at me again, and blushes. She moves on to the next customer, and I pay for my purchases. As I walk away, I turn around one more time, and see her talking to the cashier. They're both laughing and when they see me looking at them, the quickly pretend to go back to work.

I sigh as I make my way into the elevator and to my office. I'm used to the looks, snickers and whispers that go on. People need to get a life and move the fuck on.

And it's been going on like this for the past three months. Every morning I buy a muffin and a coffee from her. Every morning I make sure our hands touch. I've instructed Andrea to only use them to cater for any morning meetings. She's been on the twentieth floor exactly 18 times to deliver our catering. I even managed to get her in my office one morning when I had a meeting there with Ros.

Whenever I know she's in one of the executive suites setting up food, I make it a point to pull up the video recording and watch her. I even watched her while she was in my office for the first. The video showed her looking at the paintings on my wall. She even touched one of them. I saw her quickly look in my bathroom before promptly closing the door. I watched as she sat in my chair and spun it around like a little kid would do. She tried to open up my desk drawers, but those remain locked unless I'm in the office. What the fuck is she looking for?

After she got up from the chair, she goes back into my bathroom. There's no camera in the bathroom, but from what I could see through the open door, she smells my lotions and cologne before exiting and closing the door.

That would have gotten anyone else fired, but not her. Those actions led me to create a fantasy in my head where she's actually interested in me, in my life.

That fantasy led me to get in her line every morning to order a pastry. A pastry that I now eat because there's a chance that she's the one who baked it. That fantasy led me to make sure that my hand brushes against hers every morning when she hands me my bag.

There's never any conversation beyond me placing my order, and her thanking me for my purchase. How does one talk to an angel?

She still blushes whenever she sees me and refuses to make eye contact. I don't know if that's because she's attracted to me or if it's because she, along with the rest of the fucking world, thinks they know all about my private life and my proclivities.

Taylor soon picked up on why I was suddenly buying muffins every damn morning. I knew he knew it one morning just by the way he was looking at me when we finally made our way to the elevator. He didn't say a word. He didn't have to. All I heard was him mutter something to himself. I think it was "well, I'll be damned." I didn't ask him what he meant by that. I just left the elevator and went to my office to enjoy my baked goods.

To my surprise, Taylor got behind me in the line the next morning. Unlike with me, she smiled at him and when he engaged her in conversation, she actually responded. Over the next couple of weeks, I learned that she's starting college classes again in the fall, and she's friends with the owners of he café. Taylor casually let I drop that she's twenty three and unfortunately had to drop out of college for a while due to financial reasons.

I already know I'm going to anonymously pay her tuition. Taylor knows it too.

One day, Taylor brought his fiancé, Gail, who is also my housekeeper over to the bakery. Now, Gail has befriended Ana. Even though Gail is old enough to be Ana's mother, they've struck a friendship and have even gone out for dinner and drinks. One day, Taylor let it drop that they had planned on getting pedicures together.

Gail and Taylor make it a point to discuss Ana whenever I'm around, dropping little tidbits about her life. If I wanted to, I could have her entire history in a file on my desk at any time, but I didn't want to do that. I like learning about her bit by bit. From my nosy employees, I've learned that she's an only child and her dad lives in Montesano, and her mother recently passed away. She inherited a small house from her mother, but she has yet to move in there. She's living with Jose, the son of the owner of the café, who also works there. Taylor and Gail made it a point to drop the little nugget that Jose is gay.

I rolled my eyes at them. I've known that since the first moment I saw him. And the fact that he undresses me with his eyes as he licks his lips at me each morning is a dead giveaway.

I never comment or ask questions when Taylor and Gail decide to have these conversations. I know what they're doing, but they don't realize that a girl like that has no business being with someone like me. She's scared to death of me as it is. I can see it in her eyes. But just because she shouldn't be with me, doesn't mean I'm not going to pursue her. It's out of my hands. She was mine the minute I saw her.

I hop out of bed, and get on the treadmill on his Saturday morning. When I lived at Escala, Taylor or another member of my security team and I would go for a run. Now that I'm outside of the city, I make due with my home gym. I run for 45 minutes before my personal trainer arrives. We spar for about an hour before we both leave the gym sweaty and exhausted.

I have all this pent up energy today. I keep looking at the clock and curse when I realize I still have three more hours until she gets here.

I look out in the meadow and watch as the tables and decorations are being set up. Even my damn pool is covered in pink flowers. Thankfully, it's a sunny and warm June day. It's the perfect day for Gail's bridal shower.

I snort as I drink my fourth cup of coffee. I don't normally give a shit about these things. I told Gail to use her credit card and get whatever she wanted for the shower on me. I was going to go spend the day with Elliot and EJ, but Gail and Taylor subtly let it slip that Ana was invited to the shower. They also made it a point to inform me that it's a Jack and Jill shower, meaning that men are invited. Gail personally handed me a pink invitation.

I was able to convince Elliot to come. Well, I had to promise to buy him the car of his choice on his birthday. Like he can't afford his own car, but I would have promised to buy him the playboy mansion just to get him to agree.

I finish my coffee and go to my office to do some work, but I'm too distracted. She's going to be here in a few hours. In my house, or at least my yard, walking around, possibly touching my things. Maybe her blue eyes will lock with mine, and she'll smile at me.

I give up on work and go back to my bedroom, which takes is bigger than most houses. I guess there's no possible way she can find her way in here to smell my cologne.

I text Elliot and he confirms he's coming. I putz around in the house for the next few hours, before getting dressed. I was told that at the last minute that there's a dress code for the shower. Everyone will be wearing blue jeans and a pink shirt. The image of Taylor's large frame in a pink shirt almost causes me to laugh. There are just some things I don't need to think about before noon.

I quickly put on my clothes, a pair of dark blue jeans, and a pink polo shirt. The shirt fits well and shows off my pectorals. This is the first time she'll be seeing me dressed in casual clothes. I admit, I'm looking forward seeing her dressed outside of the black and white uniform that she wears everyday.

About ten minutes before noon, I've decided I had enough and make my way outside. Gail and Taylor, along with some of my other staff are already there. Everyone is holding a pink drink.

As I approach them, a waiter comes by and I take one of those drinks and sip it. I don't know what else is in it, but I definitely taste some vodka. We stand there and chat for a few minutes before Gail's friends and family start to arrive.

Once she leaves to mingle, I'm left standing with Taylor, who is wearing a hot pink shirt.

"Nice color on you, Taylor," I say.

"Thanks, sir. Gail says this color really brings out my eyes."

At that, I roll my eyes at him.

"Ana should be here any moment," he casually mentions.

"Who?" I ask, trying to feign innocence.

He chuckles at me.

"According to Gail, she's single. If I'm reading between the lines, I don't think she's ever even had a boyfriend, but she's looking. She told Gail she's about to set up some sort of online dating profile." Shit! Fuck! Worse case scenario is I have Barney hack into her profile and delete it. _But that's not a long term solution, Grey!_

"Oh! Ana! That girl from the café? Well, good for her," I say dismissively to Taylor. He doesn't buy it. He just shakes his head at me.

"Yeah, her. The reason why you're at a bridal shower wearing a ridiculous pink shirt. And here she is now." I feel all the air leave my body when he makes that statement. I count to ten before I turn around and see her.

"Damn," I say to myself at the site of her. She has on a loose, off shoulder pink top but she didn't get the memo about the jeans. She has on a short denim skirt and a pair of pink wedges. She's a small woman, but the shoes give her added height, elongating her creamy, smooth legs.

"Yeah. Damn is right," he says as he waves her over. She looks from him to me, and then turn around to make sure he's no waving someone else over. She points to herself, and mouths 'me" to Taylor. He nods, and she finally walks over to us. On her way, she drops off a huge gift bag at the table.

"Hi, Jason. Congratulations!" she says giving him a warm hug. I just stand there like an idiot holding a pink drink. A waiter comes by and I grab a drink and hand it to her. I make sure to graze my finger on her hand. She blushes as she takes the drink and thanks me. I grab another drink for myself.

"Thanks for coming, sweetie. You're lucky I'm not your dad or I'd be giving you hell over that short skirt," he teases. I look down at those legs and I let out a groan. She's killing me.

"Well, that's a good thing. I should have saved this skirt for my evening plans. There's probably not very many dateable men at these things," she jokes.

"There might be one," Taylor says before nudging me with his shoulders. I'm going to kill him!

"Ana!" Gail says as she approaches us and gives her a hug. "I'm so glad you can come. Have you met Mr. Grey? He's our wonderful boss and is throwing this shower for us."

Ana turns towards me. Our eyes meet for a second before she looks away. I see that blush again.

"We haven't officially met," she says shyly.

"But I buy a muffin from her every morning," I say while extending my hand. I think that was the lamest sentence I've ever uttered. "It's nice to officially meet you. I'm Christian Grey." She puts her little hand in mine. As I wrap my large hand around hers, I swear that everyone just faded away and it was just the two of us. The first time I touched her, I felt a jolt of electricity. This time, it's as if I've been struck by lightening. I think she feels it too because she takes a sharp intake of breath before looking up at me. Our eyes lock, and it's just the two of us there in my back yard. She quickly takes her hand from mine, unnerved by what just happened.

"Uh, this is a great party, Gail," Ana says, now avoiding all forms of eye contact with me.

"Thank you! Mr. Grey here is footing the entire bill. He even let me have a party planner to help. He's just the best. And doesn't he look handsome in pink?" Gail says. Jesus! Can she lay it on any thicker? I shift under Ana's gaze. I involuntarily run a hand over my shirt, fixing any imaginary wrinkles. I think I even blush a little bit at her assessment.

"That's very kind of him," she says, now looking anywhere but at me. She takes another dainty sip of her pink drink. You can talk to me, Ana. But I know why she won't look at me.

"Oh, he's just the best, most generous person. We love working for him." Before anyone can say anything else, my two year old nephew, EJ, runs over and latches on to Taylor's leg, waiting for Taylor to put him on his shoulder.

"Tay!" he yells. I think Taylor is his favorite person, only because Taylor is so tall. Taylor swoops him up and put him on his shoulders. EJ's looking quite handsome in his pink polo and light blue jeans.

"Wait for your old man, son," Elliot says as he runs behind EJ, wearing a matching outfit. He reaches us, shakes hands with Taylor and hugs Gail. Gail introduces him to Ana.

The minute he sees her, I regret begging him to come to this party. He smiles at her, bows and kisses her hand. She giggles at his antics, but I notice she doesn't blush.

I immediately become upset. The fact that they're both single and looking automatically puts me on the defensive. Gail notices too because she takes Ana by the hand and tells her she wants to introduce her to some of her family. I admire Ana's legs as Gail leads her to a group of women.

"God damn! The things I would do to her," Elliot says as he watches Ana walk away. I'm ready to kick him the fuck off my property.

"Hands off, Elliot," Taylor warns.

"Oh, shit. Is she a relative of yours, Taylor? How the fuck can someone with your face be related to that slice of heaven. Shit!" He says.

"Shit!" EJ repeats. Mom is going to kill Elliot now.

"No, she's not related to me, idiot. Your brother likes her," he says. I look at Taylor and give him a look that would make most other adults wet themselves, but he just shrugs his shoulders.

Elliot looks at me dumbfounded.

"Are you serious? Her? That sweet, innocent looking girl? She ain't your type, brother," Elliot says to me.

"I should fire your ass, Taylor! And what the hell do you know about my type?" I fume, turning back to Elliot. His comment stings because I know it's true. I don't stand a chance in hell with a girl like that.

"The type who likes to be whipped, spanked, gagged, dominated. That type." The worst fucking time of my life was when this shit became public knowledge.

"Will you shut the fuck up?" I whisper to him.

"Fuck!" EJ says. I cringe at that. Mom is already ashamed of me. I don't need to add this to my resume as well.

"It's not like the entire world doesn't already know. I don't think she's into that scene."

"As if that's the only thing that can get my dick hard! And what makes you an expert in what she's into?" In my sick twisted fantasy, she's into those things. Worst case, she's not but lets me introduce her into that world.

"Dick!" EJ says.

"I'll take him to Gail since you two keep forgetting there's a two year old around," Taylor says before he takes EJ away from us.

"I'm actually looking for a real relationship. EJ needs a mother. You've only ever had contracts." I walk up to him, ready to kick his ass and ruin this shower. The audacity of this motherfucker telling me about myself.

"Yes, tell me more about me, Elliot. Please do. Since when did you become so judgmental?"

He backs up and raises both hands. Taylor runs back to us, ready to break up a fight if necessary.

"Fine, she's all yours, dude." I'm actually relieved that he said that. I never thought he'd be interested in Ana or I wouldn't have convinced him to come. He's usually into skanky blondes, not sweet angels like Ana. Elliot is actually a great guy. Unlike me, he's laid back, funny, and the life of the party. No girl looking for a real relationship would ever pick me over Elliot.

I don't answer him. I just nod. The three of us stand there and watch as Gail talks to Ana with EJ in her arms. EJ reaches over and Ana takes him in her arms. She smiles at him and he throws his head back. He grabs her face with both hands, and plants a kiss on her lips. Lucky EJ. Ana laughs and hugs EJ to her chest before spinning around with him in her arms. We hear their laughter and I feel something inside of me melt. This unknown feeling takes over me, and I feel as if I can just float away.

"Fuck, dude. She would have been perfect," Elliot says. "You're lucky I love your ass."

She's absolutely perfect. Just stunning standing there in my meadow, holding my nephew with the sun in her hair. No, she can never be EJ's mother, but maybe his auntie.

Yeah, right. Elliot is right.

EJ starts to wiggle in her arms, so she puts him down. He grabs her hand and leads her back to us, so he can go in his father's arms.

"I guess he wanted his daddy," Ana says nervously. She looks around and when I catch her eye, she blushes. "I, uh, I guess I'll go find Gail."

"I'm right here, Ana." Gail puts her arm around Ana's shoulder and I watch, wishing it were me with my arm draped around her shoulder, with her arm around my waist.

"So, Ana, as I was saying. Mr. Grey is not only throwing us this party, but he insisted on paying for the wedding and letting us use his private plane to go on our honeymoon." I wince at that. Gail is laying it on real thick, but there's a part of me hoping she'll be impressed. At least Gail failed to mention that I'm also paying for the honeymoon.

"And don't forget about our honeymoon to the Mediterranean. Two weeks of bliss," Taylor fills in.

"Oh, wow," Ana says with a blush. She's still not looking at me. "I'll be sure to look you up when I get engaged, Mr. Grey," she jokes. Taylor starts to cough, and Elliot starts to laugh like we're at a damn comedy show.

Gail gives each of them a nasty look and they both stop.

"Let's sit down for our lunch," Gail says, giving Elliot and Taylor warning looks. They're serving appetizers. It's assigned seating so just find your name on one of the tables. Mr. Grey, you're at the main table."

Gail takes Ana's hand, and we all follow them.

"I'll be right there. Gotta go change EJ," Elliot says. Good riddance.

I quickly find my seat at the main table. I almost faint when I see Ana take a seat next to me. I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. Gail and Taylor and their damn match making. Gail and Taylor are directly across from me, and Gail smiles at me when I catch her eye.

Ana fidgets under my gaze, but she gives me a smile. A genuine smile that makes my heart swell and ache all at the same time. I'm so lost in her eyes that I forgot to smile back. I simply stare at her. She clears her throat before looking away.

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! When an angel smiles at you, you smile back!

A variety of appetizers are brought out, but I notice that Ana only nibbles on fruit. Mainly the green grapes. Finally, she's served a crab cake and she eats that. I look at Gail and point to more crab cakes, and before I know it, Ana's served another one, which she eats again.

I watch her during the entire meal. She has two more of those pink drinks, but she eats plenty.

"Can you get your nephew to eat, Christian?" Elliot asks as she drops EJ on my lap, and handing me his plate of mac and cheese. Before I can even respond, he leaves and goes back to his own meal. EJ is a picky eater, so it's always a struggle to get him to eat.

I bring the spoon to his mouth and he turns his face away.

"You gotta eat, buddy," I try to cajole him. He takes the spoon from me, and I think he's about to feed himself, but he puts the spoon to my mouth instead.

"You eat," he says and grins. I see Ana laughing at the exchange. EJ hears her and turns to her, and now putting the spoon to Ana's mouth.

"Eat," he orders. To my surprise, she takes him from me and sits him on her lap. She takes the spoon from him and puts it to his mouth.

"EJ needs to eat. Do you want cake, buddy?" She asks.

"Cake!" EJ says, clapping his hands.

"Then you need to eat before you can have cake, ok? You want some of my mashed potatoes?" She offers him some and he eats it. She smiles and leans down and kisses the top of his head before she continues to feed him.

I watch the entire thing as if it's slow motion. The way she talks to him, feeds him and wipes his mouth between bites of food, and rubs his back. She offers him some water out of her glass and he's ecstatic to use a big cup. At one point, he lays his head on his chest, and rubs his eyes. She pulls him closer and kisses his head again. Soon Elliot takes him and goes to put him down for a nap.

No, she will never be the mother of Elliot's children. Fate has already dictated who the father of her children will be.

The rest of the shower is spent with the women playing a bunch of silly games while the guys, me, Elliot, Taylor, watch. I've never heard of any of these stupid games, so all I do is watch Ana and get butterflies in my stomach every time she laughs or smiles.

She looks my way several times, catching my eye each time. The first few times, she'd shift in her seat, look over at me again to make sure I was looking at her. Our eyes locked each time, but she would always quickly look away.

I look at her legs, and moan at the fact that that tiny skirt hardly even covers anything. I caught Elliot looking at her legs once and I almost punched his teeth in. When he saw me scowling at him, he shrugged and looked away.

As the party is starting to wind down, Ana whispers something in Gail's ear. She points Ana towards the back door and gives her what looks like instructions. She walks past me and makes her way inside my house.

Gail calls my name and tells me to go, pointing towards the door.

What the fuck am I supposed to go do? Follow her in there and start an awkward conversation? She won't even talk to me.

I get an idea. I grab my phone and open the app for the security cameras. I find her standing in the middle of my kitchen, looking around. Just like in my office, she spins like a child before walking over and opening the fridge. She reaches in and grabs a grape, putting it in her mouth. Next, she pokes her head in the foyer before going into the formal living room. She runs her hand across the furniture and smells the flower arrangement on the table.

She looks behind her to make sure no one is coming, and tiptoes her way upstairs. That's when I step inside the house to catch my wayward guest. I continue to watch her, and she peeks in several of the guest bedrooms, before opening the door to the master bedroom. She looks behind her again, before stepping inside the room, and closing the door. I put my phone in my pocket and open my bedroom door.

She's like a deer in the headlights when she sees me. She stands there motionless. I wait for her to speak.

"Um, I was looking for the bathroom," she lies.

"There are four bathrooms on the first floor, and yet I find you here in my bedroom." I lean against the door.

"I, uh. I got lost." What a horrible liar.

"Now, why don't I believe that?"

She walks towards me, but I'm blocking the door.

"I'm sorry. Please excuse. I really need to leave now, Mr. Grey." She's nervous and fidgeting all over the damn place.

I move away from the door and stand right in front of her. I grab her chin, forcing her to look at me.

"I don't bite, you know," I say gently.

"That's not what I heard," she says. When she realizes what she just said, she gasps and looks at me. The fear evident in her eyes.

Just as I suspected. She's judging me.

"You came up here to nose around, so go ahead. You want to go in my bathroom and smell my cologne? Look under my bed? In my medicine cabinet? How about my closet? Maybe you'll find out when I keep my whip and chains," I taunt her.

"I'm sorry for coming up here," is all she says. The fear is still evident in her eyes, but she says nothing else.

She walks past me towards the door without saying another word. Just as she's about to reach the door knob, I grab her hand and pull her in front of me.

I push a stray piece of hair behind her ears. Her blue eyes are full of fear, and something else. Lust. Her eyes are full of lust.

"You're so beautiful, you know that? I've thought about you being in this very room for he past three months. And each time, I wanted to do this," I say just before l lower my head and kiss her lips.

She tastes of that pink drink, but it's her smell that over takes my senses. I don't know what it is. It's a mixture of vanilla, jasmine and Ana. I inhale her scent before putting pressure on her perfectly soft, pink lips. I knead her lips with mine, willing her to open her mouth and to let me in. As soon as she opens her mouth a fraction, I push my tongue in, overtaking her mouth fully.

I knew I was home the moment her lips touched mine. The moment she opened up her mouth to let me in, I knew she had to eventually let me into her heart, just like she was already in mine.

"Stop," she says as she suddenly breaks the kiss. "I'm not into," she begins.

"You're not into what? Being kissed?" I ask. I wrap my arms around her waist and hold her against my body. She places both hands on my chest and pushes me away.

"I'm not into the stuff you like. I don't want that." And now we're back to her not looking at me.

"How do you know? Have you ever tried it?" I challenge. Her eyes widen like saucers.

"I don't need to try it to know that I don't want to be whipped while on a do leach I've never tried anything in that department and I don't want my first time to be like that. Fuck! I've said too much. It's time for me to leave." She moves away from me and runs out of the room. I stand there like an idiot. Did she just tell me that she's a virgin? I have thoughts of rose petals, candles and a warm bath. A massage, hungry wet kisses, moans, rumpled sheets, and her whispering my name when I take her virginity.

I also have visions of her bent over my knees as turn her naked ass red for disobeying one of my orders. What I wouldn't give to be able to blind fold and handcuff her as I fuck her into another dimension, followed by me putting a collar around her throat for pleasing me so damn much.

I imagine lazy Sunday afternoons with us walking in the meadow, or making love in my bed as the rain beats against the windows. Bringing her home for Sunday dinner. Holidays. Birthdays. Barbeques. She's be by my side through everything. My lover. My submissive. My wife. My everything.

I run after her and she stops when I call her name.

"It doesn't have to be like that. We can take it slow," I tell her.

"I have to go, Mr. Grey. I don't want to be locked up in a dungeon and dominated. You think I want to kneel at your damn feet?"

"Is that what you think? Where did you get your information from?" I ask her. She's not wrong. I do want to dominate her, own her body, bring her to the brink of orgasm and finally watching her detonate around me. Yes, I want to walk into my bedroom and find her kneeling and waiting for me, but I think it's best not to admit those things now.

"I don't live in a bubble, Mr. Grey," she says. "I see you don't deny wanting to do those things." And I won't admit them either.

"I asked you where you did your research. Answer me."

She me in the eye and squares her shoulders. The fear is still there, but I she pushes it aside.

"I do have access to the internet. YouTube, sir. I admit, I didn't follow the story when it first came out, but all the best clips are on YouTube," she says before she runs out the door.

Yes, I know all about that. I could have my lawyers get them to take it down, but I won't. I'm not ashamed of it. I've told my side and people can choose to believe whatever the hell they want.

I follow Ana outside and she goes and hugs Gail, probably to say her good byes. Just as she's talking to Gail, EJ, who must have gotten up from his nap, goes running to Ana. I quickly make my way over there. Now that I've had a taste, I don't want her to leave.

"Cake!" EJ says to her with his mouth covered in frosting. He wipes his mouth on Ana's leg and everyone laughs.

She says something to Gail, hugs her, hugs Taylor and practically runs out before I can say anything to her.

"She ran out of here like a bat out of hell, C. Did she find your dungeon?" Elliot, always the idiot.

"Feel free to leave now, moron," I say to him. He pretends to act wounded before going over and getting a piece of cake.

"Don' worry, sir. I've seen to it that her car won't start."

"Jesus, Taylor. Do we need to go to these extremes?" And right on cue, Ana comes back looking panicked.

"What's wrong, honey?" Gail says as if she didn't just hear what Taylor just said. I've learned today that Gail is quite the manipulator.

"My stupid car won't start. My phone is dead. Can I charge it inside while I call AAA?"

"Don't worry about that, Ana. Don't leave yet. Jason will take care of the car for you. There's an indoor pool and the rest of the girls want to go swimming. There's a hot tub too. Come on! The party's just getting started. Come inside. Let's go find you a bathing suit." Gail doesn't give Ana time to respond. She winks at me before running inside the house.

"That Gail is a sneaky one, sir. She ordered to mess with the car as soon as you guys went inside. She's already figured out a way to get her to spend the night."

"She's scared to death of me, Taylor. She thinks I want to beat and dominate her. Why the fuck can't my private life remain private? She thinks that I'm some sort of sadist."

"Enough of the pity party, boss. Get her to see you differently. And you need to hurry. She told Gail she has a date tomorrow night," Taylor casually informs me.

I feel this anger begin to boil inside of me.

"Like hell she does," I say as I walk inside to go find my bathing suit.

 **A/N - Thank you for reading and reviewing. I hope to have chapter 2 posted by Sunday. Laters!**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

All credit belongs to ELJ. I don't not own the characters.

ANA

As quickly as possible, I run out of his bedroom and make my way downstairs. My bladder is screaming at me for not emptying it when I had the chance. I had to be nosy and snoop where I had no business snooping.

I just couldn't help myself. Everything is just so beautiful. The yard was perfectly manicured, with a huge swimming pool covered in some sort of pink flowers. Who knew Gail was such a girly girl? And the owner of the house? So sexy and mysterious that I just couldn't help my nosiness and invade his privacy. And I was careless and stupid enough to get caught.

After being outside for hours and having Mr. Grey's eyes on me the entire time, I just had to escape and relieve myself. Instead of finding a bathroom in that enormous house, I just had to snoop. There was no one in the house, so I thought I was safe. I had no idea he would follow me. Did he follow me? Maybe he just wanted to get away from all those women downstairs, but why now? Why not earlier? Why did he come inside as soon as I did? Maybe he was watching to make sure I didn't take anything? Does he know? Not that I would take anything of value. He probably assumes everybody wants something from him.

Get a hold of yourself, Ana. Christian Grey is not following you. But then why was he looking at me the entire time? Every single time I looked his way, his eyes were on me. At some point I think I saw his eyes assess me from head to toe, and I saw something in those gray eyes. Something akin to desire, but I looked away as quickly as possible, not believing what I think I saw, and started a conversation with one of Gail's cousins. But when I quickly turned around again, he was looking at me again.

I look around frantically for Gail. I find her having what looks like an unpleasant conversation with Elliot. I can't hear what they're saying, but Gail isn't happy. The fact that Elliot just shrugs his shoulders at her and laughs makes her even more unhappy.

I walk over to them, and they quickly end their conversation, both of them giving me weird smiles. Elliot quickly walks away towards his brother, who has now come out of the house.

"Gail, I think I'm going to head out. Where's Jason? I want to say goodbye to him too," I tell her. I avoid telling her what happened inside. I'd hate for her to be upset at me for what I just did. I'm kicking myself now because I could have put Gail in a bad situation with her boss, but they seem to be more like family than employee and employer.

"Why are you leaving so early? We're going to bring the party inside soon." Before I can answer, Jason comes walking back from the front of the house.

"I'm sure you want to spend quality time with your family," I say. I remember she mentioned that her sister and cousins would be spending the night. Gail and Jason have a smaller house on the property. One of the perks of working for a billionaire is free housing apparently.

"Don't be silly. You're welcome to spend the night too. I have clothes you can borrow," she tells me, while putting an arm around my shoulder.

Over the past three months, I've really come to love Jason and Gail. At first, I thought Jason was hitting on me when he started talking to me at the café. But when he mentioned my pastries tasted almost as good as his fiance's, I automatically relaxed. The look on his face when he talked about Gail was one of pure devotion. And he talked about her a lot. Besides that, there was just something friendly and harmless about him. He told me he was an ex marine, and I told him my dad was ex army. One day, he brought Gail to GEH and he asked me to join them for lunch. We ordered food from a food truck outside, sat on a bench outside, and talked. I instantly bonded with Gail and we became fast friends. We had brunch several times, just the two of us. We've gotten pedicures together and I've told her all about my life, my losses and my regrets. Mainly just one clusterfuck of a regret, but Gail does what a good friend does. She listens. She gives advice when necessary, and she provides a shoulder. Having Jason and Gail is like having an older brother and sister, which I appreciate since I'm an only child.

My other closest friend is Jose, my childhood friend, whose parents own the café where we work. Unlike Gail, Jose is protective of me. Instead of just listening, he tries to fix things. And he's quite bossy, but I love him more than life for his loyalty. Besides, he knows everything there is to know about me. It's safer to just keep him at this point.

"Uh, can I use the bathroom in your house before I go? I couldn't find it in that giant house Mr. Grey has." How the hell can one person live in that place? I'm sure that house has its own zip code, but then again, he probably entertains a lot. Didn't those women say he had a private sex room? I wonder where it is in that house? Is it a dungeon? Is there even a basement in that house? Or maybe he has a wing dedicated to his special activities. Does he have one of those sex swings? I give myself a mental shake. It's none of my business and I refuse to judge.

Gail walks me to her house and I quickly find the bathroom. I breath a sigh of relief once I empty my bladder. Gail's house is not as small as I thought. The downstairs is huge and has an open floor plan. All of her finishes are high end, and her furniture looks expensive. Grey is quite generous with his employees. And they are so loyal to him. Maybe he's not as scary once you get to know him, not that I want to get to know him. I'm keeping my distance.

I walk back outside, and I spot him immediately. My mouth goes dry and I involuntarily bite my bottom lip. The butterflies from earlier return to my stomach and I feel a dull ache between my legs. Did that his pink polo shirt always stretch out across his chest just so? Did the muscles in his arms bulge out like that earlier? I lick my dry lips and continue to look at him. He's talking to his brother and Jason, with EJ sitting on his shoulders. I crack a smile because EJ is pulling his hair and Grey is making funny faces, pretending that he's hurt. He then takes EJ off his shoulders, tickles him before he sets him down.

His eye catches mine briefly but I quickly look away and approach Gail.

"I have to run, Gail. I'll see you next week for our weekly lunch date. I'll give you all the details about my date tomorrow. Wish me luck." She pulls me into a hug. "Tell Jason I'll see him Monday at work."

I don't give Gail a chance to try and talk me into staying. I walk as quickly as possible to my car. When I make it to the front of the house, I let out a huge sigh of relief.

I get in my car, the old piece of crap that I've had for three years now, and turn the key, only to hear it sputter. I try again, and I get the same noise.

"Fuck!" I say out loud as I rest my head on the steering wheel. "Fucking piece of shit!" That settles it. I'm getting rid of this heap of junk immediately. I say a silent prayer and try and start the car again, with no success.

"God damn it!" I really need to get out of here. I don't want to think about him or that kiss. I really don't want to think about how his lips felt on mine or the taste of his tongue. I don't want to think about how his lips were both firm and soft at the same time. And how his hand was on my face, stroking my cheek so tenderly. I never thought he'd be a gentle kisser. Didn't the women say he wouldn't kiss them? Maybe that's why they're so bitter because that kiss was amazing.

And I especially don't want to think about how good his body felt against mine. Or how sexy he is. Or how I just want to stroke his messy head of hair. I especially don't want to think about how he's the first man who has made my body respond in a certain way. Nope! Don't wanna think about it at all.

I exit the car and slam the door as hard as possible in my frustration. I walk back to the party and find Gail and explain about my heap of junk.

She promises that Jason will fix it for me tomorrow and wants me to come inside to swim in the indoor pool. She even mentions a hot tub. An inside and outside pool? For one person? Maybe his lady friends like these things. I wonder if he ever has more than one at a time? They said no, but maybe his proclivities have evolved. I free my head of these thoughts. I said I wouldn't judge!

I don't even have a chance to respond to Gail. She takes my hand and drags me inside the main house. Several of the other guests follow us as Gail leads us to the part of the house that contains the indoor pool and hot tub.

Gail takes us to a room that contains bathing suits. She hands me several and tells me to pick one. I notice they are all brand new, complete with tags, and happen to be my size. I choose a modest blue one piece and quickly change. Gail, her sister Susan, and about 10 of her cousins and friends change too. Unlike me who is unsure about being here, especially with what just happened with Mr. Grey, they are all happy and laughing. If my phone wasn't dead, I'd call Jose to come and pick, but he's in Montesano visiting his parents this weekend, so I'm stuck here. I'd call an Uber if I wasn't dead broke and this wasn't an exclusive gated community. Fuck!

My only consolation is that I'm sure Mr. Grey won't come down here with all the women. Jason's not here, so maybe all the guys are hanging together while the women have some girl time. Once I convince myself of that, I relax.

"That looks good on you, Ana," Gail says to me. I look down at the swimsuit and shrug.

"It's just going to be us girls?" Please say yes.

"Jason might join us. He loves the hot tub. I'm not sure what Mr. Grey's going to do."

"Maybe I should just wait for you at your place. I'm sure Mr. Grey wants his privacy." Although this house is a big as the damn airport. We could be down here and not disturb him a bit, but I would just be more comfortable away from him and his probing gray eyes. And if he continues to look at me like he's been all day, I might just lose my mind.

"Oh, he loves having guests," she says nonchalantly.

"So, he entertains a lot?" Why am I asking this? I don't care what the man does, but he's such a mystery. Even though part of his life was made public in such a humiliating way, there's just something about him. I just know there's more to him than what's shown on tv, but it's not my place to find out. I don't care. I have enough of my own shit to deal with.

"Mainly family but trust me. He won't mind us being here. He gave me and Jason permission to use this house for the party. He's extremely kind, Ana. Who else would do this for their employees? Come on."

"Come on, girls," Gail's sister Susan says. "Let's get some more drinks. Gail's going to make us margaritas." Everyone cheers, and since I love margaritas, I follow them to the pool. Gail disappears and comes back ten minutes later with two pitchers of margaritas and glasses.

"I don't think this will be enough, Gail," some woman shouts before she jumps into the pool.

After two drinks, I feel so much more relaxed. I decide to get one more drink and get in the hot tub and relax. It's not often I have access to a hot tub. Gail and the rest of the guests are swimming in the pool, and so far Jason hasn't come down here. As I get into the hot tub, I instantly kick back. I'm sure Jason, Elliot, Mr. Grey and EJ are hanging out together and won't want to come down here with a bunch of women.

Once I convince myself of this, I close my eyes and enjoy the bubbles in the hot tub. I don't think I've ever been in one of these before, but I love it. Gail and Jason are extremely lucky to work for Grey and enjoy all these perks.

Hell, he even came to his housekeeper's bridal shower. Who does that? And he's paying for their wedding and honeymoon.

As aloof and mysterious as he is, he seems to be pretty generous with his employees.

I did a little research on GEH and there is little to no turnover at the company, though I read that business did suffer once his proclivities were revealed to the world. Several conservative companies pulled from deals, but I think things are on an upward trajectory now.

I know he worked hard to repair his image, though I don't think his image needed to be repaired. I don't think he's done anything wrong. It's those women who should be ashamed of themselves for trying to make money by exploiting him.

The fact that Jose's parent's got a lease in his building at a subsidized rate is one example of the type of person he is. I know he's involved with WSU and has set up several scholarships. But prior to any of that, he donated to multiple charities, mainly those helping women and children. These are not the actions of a bad person.

With my eyes closed, I finish my drink and would get another one except I'm too relaxed to get up. A hear a child's laughter and the sound of little feet running around.

I open my eyes to see EJ in his bathing trunks, running into the room.

"Come on, Tay!" he yells. "Pool!"

Jason grabs him and puts on a vest before he takes him into the shallow end. I smile to myself at the sight. Elliot comes running behind his son and Jason, and I must say his body is quite nice, especially his arms and shoulders. Unlike Jason, Elliot is tattoo free. His stomach is flat, and his entire torso is tanned. He runs in and yells "canon ball" before jumping in, splashing all the women. He swims towards his son and takes him from Jason.

I grin at the scene and close my eyes again thinking that whatever woman ends up with him will be one lucky lady. I hope he ends up with someone as carefree as he is.

I see no sign of Grey. He must be working or doing whatever the hell he does in this compound. I close my eyes and relax into the hot tub. I have so much crap that I need to deal with, but I'm putting those things our of my head for today. Today, I relax. And drink.

"Do you mind if I join you?" I hear a deep voice say. So much for him staying away. I know who it is immediately. I can feel my body start to react and I will my nipples not to harden. They don't listen to me. I cross my arms over my chest and open my eyes.

God damn!

I really should have kept my eyes closed.

Did I say Elliot looked good? He has nothing on his brother. Now I think Elliot looks like a boy when his brother is all man.

He stands there in front of me in a pair of dark blue swim trunks, and nothing else. Not only is his stomach flat, but it's defined. Jose would faint at the sight of Mr. Grey's six pack abs. I feel my heart start to accelerate and my mouth start to water. Down, girl. This is NOT the man for you. He's handsome and kisses like a god, but his idea of a relationship is vastly different from mine. Although, I've never had one, but what I'm looking for and what he can offer me are two different things. What did one of the women say? He would punish them for breaking certain rules? I would have a problem with that.

He continues to stand there, waiting for me to answer. Watching me with those intense gray eyes.

"What would you do if I said no?" I ask him.

He smiles at me, and that one smile is almost my undoing.

"I guess I'd just have to convince you that having me is a good idea." Having him? I bet.

"It's your hot tub, Mr. Grey. In fact, I should be asking you for permission to be here, not the other way around," I say to him. He doesn't need my permission to get in his own damn hot tub. Beyond that, I'm certain he's not the type who asks permission for anything. Rich and powerful men like that just do whatever the hell they want.

"Permission granted," he says.

The next thing I know, he's in the tub sitting across from me. The water feels even hotter now. Our eyes meet for a minute. I'm inexperienced when it comes to men. The fact that I'm a twenty three year old pathetic virgin attests to that, but I'm not naïve. I know when a man wants me, and this man does. And for some reason my body does weird things when he's around. Ever since the first day he came in for coffee and a muffin, my body reacted to him. I had to switch to a padded bra to hide the fact that my nipples would get hard whenever he would order his food. And each time I would hand him his order, his finger would touch my hand. I almost had to change my panties a few times.

And those times I would go in his office? My body would also react even though he's never been in his office with me. I would smell him everywhere. Hell, I sat in his chair so my body could touch somewhere where his body had been. I smelled his cologne hoping the smell would stay with me for the rest of the day, but the cologne did not exactly capture his specific smell. It was close, but not the signature Christian Grey scent.

I close my eyes to break our stare. We're both silent for several seconds. Or, several minutes. I have no fucking clue.

"Why won't you look at me?" He asks.

Because if I look at you, I would get lost in your gray eyes. I would forget my own name and make a complete fool of myself.

"Ah, I'm just trying to relax." I sound so fucking lame.

"You can't relax if you look at me?" He asks. No, Mr. Grey. I can't.

I open my eyes and meet his gaze.

"I'm looking at you now. Are you happy?" He smiles, and I see a dimple on his left cheek. How did I never notice the dimple before? It makes him almost boyish, not the stern business man that I see every day.

"Very. I'd be even happier if you'd come sit next to me." This time the smile is gone. The predatory look is back in his eyes.

"I don't think that's a very good idea."

"Why not?" I wish I could say because I have a boyfriend or because I'm in some sort of committed relationship, but that would be a lie.

"Because I _choose_ to sit over here." Emphasis on choose.

He smiles again, but this time, the smile doesn't quite reach his eyes.

"I see what you did there," he says, and I shrug. "You think I'm anti-choice?"

I decide to act obtuse. "I'd really rather not get into a discussion about politics right now. I think it's against the law to talk about such things in a hot tub." I see his lips twitch again.

"You're being evasive. That's cute. Now I can add evasiveness to your list of charming attributes. You know what I mean. It's not a political question. Do you think I'm anti-choice?"

"I have a list of charming attributes? And I didn't even know you were paying attention."

"I have a very long list. It includes things such as beautiful, sexy, sheepish, blushing. You get the drift. Now, stop dodging the question. Do you think I'm anti-choice?"

Oh my god!

"I don't know what you are."

"But you think you do. You think you know all about me. Between your snooping, and what you hear and read about, you think you know all there is to know about me."

"I told you I got lost in this humungous house trying to find a bathroom," I lie. I can feel my face turning pink, but I refuse to admit I was snooping.

"And I told you, you're full of shit. But, we digress. I don't want to strip you of your choices. You have it all wrong."

"Well, what do you want?" I ask him. Why the fuck did I even ask that question? I know what he wants! He wants to take me to his sex dungeon, tie me up and do all kinds of things that would make my body implode, and then dump me and go on to the next woman. That's what he's always done.

He locks his eyes with mine, sending shivers all over my body. Despite the extremely hot water, I get goosebumps all over my body.

"I want you," he says plainly while holding my gaze. One thing I can say about Christian Grey is that he doesn't mince words.

"You're very direct," I say to him.

"I am."

"So am I. And the answer is no." I say to him. I prove my point, I close my eyes and lean back in the tub, doing my best to show that I'm unaffected by his words.

"Why not?"

I sigh.

"I already explained that when we were upstairs," I say to him doing my best to sound annoyed.

"You mean when you were snooping around in my bedroom? And don't bother lying again by telling me you got lost. You found your way into my bedroom because you want me. You think I can't see how your body reacts towards me?"

"I'm sorry for that," I say to him.

"Look at me," he whispers, and I do. "Don't be sorry for wanting me."

"I'm sorry for going into your bedroom. And don't put words in my mouth. I never said I wanted you. And to be clear, you can want something and know you can't have it all at the same time," I say. I'm not sorry at all. Given half the chance, I'd go right back up there and snoop to my heart's content.

"I guess that's where you and I differ. I don't stop until I get what I want. And no apology is necessary. Especially when it's not genuine." His lips turn into a smile. Not knowing what else to say, I simply nod.

"You and I differ in a lot of ways, sir," I say. I hear him inhale at my last comment. I look a him again and his eyes have darkened. This time he closes his eyes for several seconds before he reopens them. It's almost like he's trying to reign himself. What the fuck did I say to get that kind of response?

"You can ask whatever you want," he says.

"I don't want to ask anything."

"I'm giving you an opportunity I've never given anyone. No question is off the table. You're going to pass that up?"

I know what he wants. He wants me to ask about his lifestyle, but I won't. That's none of my business, and I honestly don't want to know.

"Why do you have such a huge house when you're the only one who lives here?" I ask. I've been wondering that since I came here.

"Totally not what I was expecting you to ask. I don't know. I had to get out of my penthouse because reporters were hounding me there and sneaking into the lobby, following Gail into the garage. I needed something private, and it needed to have a separate house for my staff." I don't buy his explanation. There has to be more to it than that.

"That's it? That's the only reason?"

"Do you have any other theories?" He asks sounding bemused.

"Well, it's just that this is a family home, and you're a single guy."

"Single guys can't like space?"

"Space to do what?" I ask, raising my eyebrows.

He lets out a humorless laugh.

"There it is. No, I didn't get this house for that. Even if I did, it's not a crime."

"I'm not judging," I say holding my hands up.

"Everybody judges, but I've stopped caring. I'm not hiding anything," he says. "Go ahead, ask away."

Why are you so damn sexy?

How did you get into this?

How did your parents feel when they found out?

What's the most erotic thing you've done?

How big is your dick?

Can you show me said dick?

Can you kiss me again?

Why do you like to dominate women?

What's the hardest you've ever come from one of your sexual encounters?

How quickly can you make a woman come?

Can I see you naked?

I've fantasied about having a man's head between my legs. Can you help me fulfill that fantasy?

Is it BDSM or nothing?

Those are all the things I want to ask. That last question upsets me because why would I even ask something like that since I'm not interested. I'm so not interested.

And while I want to see his dick, he'd probably make me sign a contract before he can show it to me.

"You can't tell me to ask and then accuse me of judging you in the next breath. But honestly, Mr. Grey, there's nothing else I want to ask you about your private life. It's none of my business what consenting adults do behind closed doors. It's nobody's business." I want to tell him that I'm sorry for him about how this came out, and he didn't deserve that, but he doesn't strike me at the type who wants sympathy.

"I want it to be your business," he says. I'm taken aback by his bluntness, even though I shouldn't be.

"Why?" I whisper.

"Because I think you're the single most beautiful creature I've ever seen. Because I lose my mind whenever you blush. Because-"

Before he can continue, EJ interrupts.

"Uncle Chrissy! Come swim!" He yells from the edge of the pool. I see he's on Jason's shoulders. Elliot swims over to him and has a smile on his face.

"Leave your uncle alone, son. He's busy working on an acquisition." My face blushes when everyone turns to look at us in the hot tub. I see Gail smile and exchange a look with Jason, but I'm not amused. Is this what I am? An acquisition? Something to be gained? Like a piece of property? This is how he sees me?

"Come on! Swim! I want to swim with you!" EJ yells, waving his uncle over.

Mr. Grey turns away from me and smiles at his nephew. He runs a wet hand through his ginger hair, dampening it.

"I'm coming, bud!" He yells back before standing up and getting out of the hot tub.

He turns towards me and captures my gaze with his piercing gray eyes. My heart rate immediately accelerates. His gaze causes me to become immobile. I couldn't stand or speak even if I wanted to.

"And I'm coming back for you, Anastasia Rose Steele," he says as he walks away and jumps in the pool.

 **A/N: And here is chapter 2. This is my one shot in the very first Sisterhood challenge. This is a story I've thought about for a while, and it worked with the very first challenge prompt. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and want to go along for the ride with me. Like with my other stories, I don't know how long this is going to be, but I never plan on leaving a story unfinished. Thank you for reading and reviewing. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this story.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **None of the characters are mine. All credit is to ELJ**

Christian

"Come on, buddy," I say to EJ. After trying to teach him to swim, I went and got his batman float. I grab him and put him in it and let him float in the pool. Gail and some of the women surround EJ as I stand along the edge of the pool.

"Come here, Ana!" Gail yells at Ana, who is still in the hot tub. I watch as she gets up and walks to the other side of the pool, basically as far away from me as possible. I watch her body as she walks, and I have to will my dick not to get hard in this pool in front of all these women and my nephew. Her waist is small, her behind is round and her legs are toned. She's small in height and stature but has the curves of a woman; a very beautiful, sexy woman. Absolutely the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. And she doesn't even know how beautiful she is. She's shy and has her arms wrapped around her body as a shield. Like that would keep me away.

She flings her hair to the side before she jumps into the pool and swims to where EJ is.

EJ is one lucky boy.

"I see she's still here, bro. She even talked to you, though she looked less than impressed. Jason, isn't funny how this hot shot, who was once described as a sex god, has a hard on for that type of girl?" Elliot jokes. He doesn't know that I'm ready to punch him in his face if he says one more thing. I thought he'd be on his way home by now, but I love the fact that my nephew is here.

"Will you fuck off, asshole? And if you call her an acquisition again, you're going to regret. Got it?" I say to him. I saw the way her face changed when he called her an acquisition. I'm sure it fed into all her stereotypes about me.

"Yeah, shut up, Elliot," Jason warns him. "Ana's a sweet kid."

"Exactly. She does seem sweet. Too sweet for his ass. She seems really inexperienced, Christian. Maybe you should leave her alone."

"Why? So you can have her? And why should I leave her alone because she's inexperienced? What the fuck do you think I want to do to her?" I hate being on the defensive. I really don't give a shit what most people think of me, or what they think they know, but I really care what my family thinks. Even my idiot brother. Actually, especially him because he's my best friend. Him and Jason, but at least Jason's not an idiot.

"You want to do to her whatever the fuck it is you've always done to your women. And no, it's not so I can take her for myself, although she'd be perfect for me and EJ, but I told you I'd back off and I meant it." I know Elliot well enough to know he'd never go after a girl I was into.

"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about, so stay out of my business. I'm sick of you and everyone else judging me all the fucking time. What the fuck are you implying? That I don't know how to treat a woman, or that I'm some sort of monster?" What that fool doesn't know is that I was hit by Cupid's arrow three months ago when I first laid eyes on her. I'm not crazy enough to tell him that, though. I'd never hear the end of it. I'm not ready for anyone to know at this point.

I've never been religious or ever really believed in a higher power before laying eyes on her. Whoever's in charge upstairs sent her to me, and she's mine. She has been since that last day of March. I think she knows it too, but she hasn't accepted it yet. Anastasia Rose Steele belongs to me, and she belongs here.

I almost choked when she asked about why I bought this house. I had only been living here a month before I laid eyes on her. In all honesty, I don't know why I bought this house. I looked at smaller ones that met all of my staffing needs. In fact, the realtor warned against this one, saying it was huge (27,000 square feet) and was more of a family home, but I insisted on seeing it and was the proud owner a week later. Things move fast when you're paying cash.

I never even thought I'd have a girlfriend, never mind a family, but I just had to have this house. Something about it just called to me. Now I know why. It was because of her. I was getting ready for her.

"Look, nobody thinks you're a monster, so stop with that shit. And you know me well enough to know I don't judge your ass. I make fun of you, but I don't judge you. I know you know how to treat a certain kind of woman. The kind who are into that same kinky stuff you're into, but she's not like that type. Your women are experienced and know what the hell they're getting into with you. I've dated a lot of women. Every type of woman out there, I've been with. Ana looks like the type who wants to go to the movies on a Friday night and hold hands while you share a large popcorn. She'll want to meet our parents and bring you home for Thanksgiving. Have picnics in the park. Make you take her to a Taylor Swift concert. Shit like that. That's all I'm saying. I'm not implying anything about how you would treat a woman, but I think you should manage your expectations. She's not the contract signing type. She's going to want a boyfriend and all the shit that goes with that," he says. Of course, I know that about her. Does he think I'm blind?

"I know that, Elliot. Unlike you, I'm not stupid. I can do those things, and I'd never consider making her sign anything close to a contract." Unless it's a marriage contract, but I keep that to myself. And I'll suffer through Taylor Swift. Hell, I've suffered through worse. Mia made me take her to a Justin Bieber concert when she was a teenager. I see Elliot's eyes bulge out of his head at my admission.

"Ok, bro. Good for you," he says while patting me on the shoulder.

"Look, daddy!" We hear EJ yell. When we turn around, he's on Ana's back with his arms around her neck as she swims with him. "I'm swimming!" He exclaims.

"Fuck you, bro. She would have been perfect."

"You fucking asshole," I mutter to Elliot. "I don't know why the fuck I asked your ass to come over her today. I should kick your sorry ass." I fume. I'd beat the shit out of him right here and now if Ana wasn't around. She's scared enough of me as it is.

"I'd like to see you try, fucker. Ana won't think you're so hot when she sees me beat your fucking face in. You're the one who asked me over here, and all you've done is be a dick," he says.

Taylor steps in the middle before this could escalate into anything more.

"Will you two stop acting like a couple of adolescents. Elliot, go swim with your son. Boss, calm down. The girl's not interested in Elliot. She's been stealing glances at you all damn day. She hasn't looked at Elliot's ugly ass once."

"Ouch. That hurts Taylor," Elliot says before he swims over to EJ.

"Sir, all the ladies will be spending the night at our place tonight. I don't plan on fixing Ana's car until tomorrow, so she can't go anywhere tonight. Gail's going to have dinner for everyone in about an hour, that includes you. Then you and I can come back over here since she's kicking me out for the night."

"You know you guys don't have to do this, Jason? I don't want to put you and Gail in an awkward position."

"You're not, sir. Gail and I truly like Ana. I thought she was a sweet kid from the beginning, so I brought Gail in to make sure my impressions were correct. Gail just loved her from the first moment and has been driving me nuts about getting you two together. This shower was the perfect excuse. You know she changed it just for you. It was supposed to be women only. You owe me, boss."

"You mean the wedding and honeymoon I'm paying for isn't enough? Not to mention this shower, and all the other expenses?" Whatever the hell those expenses are, I could give a shit. Taylor and Gail know I don't give a damn how much their wedding costs. The refused when I offered to pay, but I told them this was the least I could do for them. These two are the most loyal people I've ever met.

Prior to the clusterfuck of the past six months, we had a strictly employee/employer relationship. They still lived rent free, but our lives did not intersect outside of a professional basis. They worked for me, and I treated them well, but that's as far as it went.

They knew about my lifestyle of course, and the weekend arrangement I had with whatever sub I had a contract with. Every employee signs and NDA, and I trust them, so I was never worried about them talking, but when some of the former women decided to start talking about the book they had written, things between us changed.

I used my money and connections to make sure the book was never published, but that did not stop them from talking. These subs were from before GEH. From before I was a CEO with more money than most countries and more power than the president. They were from when I was too young and too stupid to make then sign an NDA.

There was nothing I could do to stop them from talking to the media and to whoever else would listen. They were able to produce the contracts, complete with soft and hard limits, for the entire world, including my parents, grandparents and siblings to see.

I've never been ashamed of the BDSM lifestyle, however, my sex life is not something that I've ever discussed with anyone outside of my playroom. To me, sex is something private to be shared with the person you're having sex with, not something to be talked about in front of the entire world. To be dissected by talk show hosts and comedians.

I discovered the lifestyle when I was a twenty year old college junior. I had been with a few girls, but not being able to have them touch me became a problem. Once they realized my touch issues and the fact that I wasn't looking for a girlfriend, they moved on. I was looking at porn on my laptop one night, when I clicked on a link for BDSM. The was a scene with a woman on her knees with her hands tied behind her back as she gave oral sex to her partner. Then, he bent her over a desk and fucked her with her hands still tied. After which, he spanked her ass red for something I can't remember.

I watched several more videos, researched the lifestyle online and realized I could cater it to whatever I wanted. When I read about soft and hard limits, I knew what my main hard limit was going to be, and my partner would just have to accept it. Being a rich kid in college with access to cash, I found a dominatrix who trained me in the lifestyle. The rest, as they say, is history.

Once my ex submissives started to talk, my name was being dragged through the mud, and I became a punchline in business circles. I lost business deals, and several key executives left when they were poached by the competition. Suddenly, being associated with Christian Grey was not such a positive thing.

Thankfully, Ros Bailey, my COO is as loyal as they come and stuck by me through it all. Working double the hours to bring in new deals, and to make those executives regret ever leaving GEH.

We did community outreach. Offered scholarships, offered low rent to small, local businesses on the first floor of GEH, which is how I was ever given the chance to lay eyes on the very beautiful Ms. Steele.

When you're going through something like that, you can't appear to look depressed or sad. You're not supposed to show the world that you're humiliated or upset. As CEO of a huge conglomerate, I'm expected to look and act a certain way all the damn time. I'm supposed to be tough. I'm not supposed to look weak or show the world that this hasn't affected me, when in reality I'm human.

It did bother me that people that I trusted enough to partake in this lifestyle with would try to use that information to make a quick buck. It did bother me that I was too young and too stupid to think to make the sign a nondisclosure agreement, but I was a nobody at that time and the thought never even crossed my mind. I was only thinking about getting fucked.

So, during the day, I would put on my CEO face and go on as if nothing happened. I had my PR department to handle the fallout, and I pretended to go on with my life. At night, in the privacy of my own home, I was withdrawn and depressed. I avoided my family, especially my mother.

As annoying as Elliot can be, he was there for me. He'd come by GEH and we'd have lunch, and talk. He'd bring EJ to see me sometimes at work, or at home. We started having a boys' lunch every Friday, which included dad.

I'd work out with Claude to release my frustrations, but other than that I would rarely leave the house. I would either work in my office or in my bedroom unless Elliot or dad would drop by.

Gail and the rest of my staff were being harassed by reporters asking for juicy details about my private life. They would follow her to the grocery store or on errands. They even called her sister and brother in law asking for details about my life, bribing them with a quick payday.

One particular day, reporters followed Gail into the Escala garage. We later learned that an employee was bribed for the code. They cornered Gail by the elevator, too pictures of her, caused her to drop her purse, where they took pictures of the contents. I believe they even asked her if she was required to let me dominate her in my dungeon as part of her contract with me.

Gail called Taylor, upset and crying and we both came home for GEH to deal with her. I filed a lawsuit against Escala's management company. I offered to let Gail out of her contract, with a year's salary paid in full. I did this knowing that Taylor would leave if Gail chose to go. I didn't want either of them to leave, but I didn't want to continue to subject Gail to this type of harassment. They told me they knew the real me and they would not bail because things were a little rocky. They did what my own mother didn't do. They consoled me and told me things would die down soon. They stayed and supported me during a horrible period of my life.

That changed our relationship. From that day forward, a friendship was formed. Now we're more of a family than employer and employee.

My parents were shocked by the stories and the contracts, and while my dad eventually understood and went back to treating me like he always had, my mom's attitude towards me has never been the same. It was subtle at first, and I thought I might have imagined it, but we weren't as close as we used to be. She'd drop by at GEH at least once a week for lunch, and that stopped. She would call at random times just to chat. Those calls also stopped. Although I was included at all family events, she became distant, and aloof. Our conversations never go beyond polite small talk, and I hate that.

Elliot and dad thinks she's just uncomfortable knowing such intimate details about me, but there's a part of me that believes she thinks I'm some sort of monster who likes to hit women. Elliot and dad don't think that's the case, but I think they're in denial.

Thankfully, Mia was in Paris when this happened, but took it the best out of everyone. She told me that for as long as she lives, she never wants to think about me and sex at the same time and has never brought it up again. She's been back in Paris for a month now, and our relationship is the same as it's always been.

Elliot jokes that he doesn't know who Grace is most ashamed of. Me and my kinky sex dungeon or him and his illegitimate son, and all the issues he went through with EJ's mother. Ironically, our mother's disappointment in both of us has brought us close together.

I hear loud laughter coming from the women and I'm brought back to the present.

"So, did you and Gail think of a plan to have her spend the night under my roof instead of yours? I'm just kidding," I joke while patting him on the shoulder.

Taylor give me a look and a sly smile. I know he's going to say something smart, but we're interrupted when Sawyer walks in. It's Saturday, and he's only assigned to monitor the cameras, so he's dressed casually in jeans and a polo shirt. Good looking fucker!

I hear some of the women whistle as he walks towards us. I turn around and see several of the women practically drooling over Luke. I look towards Ana and she's looking at him too. Is she blushing over that fucker?

I get out of the pool as quickly as possible and walk towards, shielding him from her eyes with my body. If she wants to look at a man, she can look at me.

"What is it, Luke?" I say with a bit of venom in my voice. He's taken aback by my tone, and honestly, he doesn't deserve my anger. He's only been with us for six months, but he's proven himself to be a good employee.

"You're interrupting Gail's shower," I say a bit more diplomatically.

"Ms. Bailey has been trying to reach you, sir. She didn't go into details, but she says she's having a family emergency. She asks that you call her ASAP."

Fuck! I know Ros' father has been having some health issues and she was worried she'd have to fly home to Connecticut to her help her mother. I quickly follow Luke out of the room and run to my office without even bothering to change.

* * *

Two hours later, I finish my call with Ros, who will be on her way to Connecticut for at least three weeks. The biggest fucking issue is that I will have to go to China in three days instead of her. I really don't want to leave Seattle right now for any reason. I'm tempted to cancel, but we've already pushed this back enough.

I shower quickly, put on a pair of cargo shorts and a white polo shirt, and make my way to Gail and Taylor's place.

I let myself in through the front door, and I immediately hear music and laughter. As I start to walk down the hall towards the back of the house, I hear her voice. She's in the bathroom and she's talking to someone on the phone. And just my luck, that person is on speaker.

I hear a male's voice, and I immediately assume she's talking to that asshole she has the date with tomorrow night, but I recognize it as Jose's voice. I should continue to walk towards the kitchen, but I don't. I stop to listen.

"Gurl, I'm sorry I missed it. I told you to make me your plus one at the shower. I want to snoop around the Grey compound too. Did you get any pictures?"

"No! I wouldn't do that. Anyway, I told you I got caught. And you don't bring a plus one at a shower. Besides, I assumed it would just be women, but I was wrong."

"You know I'm like one of the girls. And what do you mean. Please tell me that G-Money wasn't there?" Who the fuck is G-Money? What the hell are they talking about?

"Will you stop calling him that? The man is more than his bank account," Ana laughs. "Oh, he was there alright. All day. Looking intense. It's like they're one big happy family around here. They sang his praises the entire time. It's actually kind of nice. Not at all what I was expecting."

I guess I know now who G-Money is. I'd laugh, but then I'd get caught snooping.

"Are you kidding me? I sing his praises too. He got super cheap rent in Seattle! And business is booming just from the catering from his office alone. I should let him spank me just as a thank you. Did you talk to him?" I wonder if she's going to tell him what happened.

"We were formally introduced." And you snooped around, got caught and got kissed.

"That man makes my pulse accelerate. I'd let him tie me up, whip me or do any damn thing he wants any day. Or blind fold me. I think I can get into that." I shake my head. Typical reaction. It's either this or fear.

I hear Ana laugh when he says that.

"Oh, please stop. I don't need that visual in my head."

"I was looking at the interview with those women again, Ana, and the man has a type. Small brunettes. You better watch yourself, girl! You fit the prototype." And with that Jose starts to cackle. Ana doesn't find it funny because she doesn't laugh.

"Don't go there again, ok?" Again? He's suggested this before?

"Why not? I don't think he only comes to our café just for the muffins. I think he wants into yourmuff." He cackles again. He has no idea what I want to do to that muff.

"Jose, please. That's not true and I have way too much going on in my life right now."

"It _is_ true. I see how he looks at you every fucking morning. A man like that doesn't stand in line for pastries. He wants something else. And what do you mean you have too much going on? You're looking for a boyfriend, aren't you? You're going out with Adam tomorrow night. And his ass is dead broke. Go for the one with the fat bank account instead."

"I don't give a shit about Adam or Grey's bank account. And I'm pretty sure I'm broker than Adam. And so are you, so shut up."

"And boring. Did I mention Adam is boring as fuck? Last time I saw him, he spent an hour talking about his grandfather's stamp collection. An hour, Ana. I was ready to shoot my big toe off just so I can have an excuse to leave." Ana laughs at that.

"He's not that boring. He told me all about his job as a chef the last time I saw him. A man who can cook is sexy. I'm thinking breakfast in bed," she says and I almost barge into the bathroom to tell her how I feel about that, but I don't. I know there is no way this Adam fucker will be cooking her breakfast or any other meal. I'll be sure to see to that.

"Oh, please. I was there for that conversation. It was boring as hell. You still just have that little fantasy of some man bringing you breakfast in bed."

"What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, if the man wasn't as boring as dried toast."

"I can deal with boring. I'm already dealing with too much as it is. I still have to figure out a way to register for the fall semester, we have to move into this damn house and I have to figure out a way to pay the taxes for said house, not to mention, my car is a pile of shit. Not to mention dealing with my other issue. So, boring will be good. What I can't deal with is the drama that would go with being with someone like him. G-Money, as you call him, would take over every facet of my life, Jose. So, Adam is like a day at the beach, and G-Money is like going to the beach during a hurricane. Like a category 5 hurricane. Total devastation and annihilation. I don't need that in my life." What other issue is she talking about? I'll need to ask Gail so that I can fix it. A category 5 hurricane? You have it all wrong, baby. I'm more of a tsunami.

"More like a category five orgasm. Gurl, after the storm is when the good stuff happens. That's when life resumes. You can rebuild and be better than ever. I'll take a hurricane over being bored to death anytime. Don't come crying to me when Adam puts your skinny ass in a coma with his lame ass self. I'm still pissed you didn't bring me to the shower. My mom keeps following me around with her rosary beads. She's been to mass twice and I've been here less than 24 hours. Someone needs to tell her there ain't no patron saint who will cure me of my gayness. There ain't no praying this gay away, so she needs to get over it." I feel a bit for Jose in this situation. Having your mom's disappointment in your shoulders is not a good feeling.

"You're my plus one at the wedding. It's at the Grey compound, so stop your bitching. You're going to die when you see this house. It's the most spectacular thing I've ever seen. And, your mom will come around. Give her time. I gotta go before Gail comes looking for me." I run walk to the back as quickly and as quietly as possible. When I get there, Gail and Taylor are setting up food. No one else is there.

"Hey, boss. The women will be down soon. I hope you're hungry."

"Starving," I say looking around. "I have go to China in Ros' place on Tuesday. I'll be gone at least ten days. I can take Sawyer since you'll be here dealing with all the wedding stuff," I say to him as I pour myself a glass of wine.

"Thanks, sir, but Gail has everything under control. My only responsibility is showing up at the church on time. She even picked out my tux."

"I'd feel better with you here, actually. I need you to keep an eye on things. Especially with this date that's supposed to happen tomorrow," I say as I tilt my head towards where Ana is. Taylor's only response is a silent nod, knowing exactly what I mean.

"Nothing will come of that, sir. Gail thinks she's not the least bit interested in that guy. Gail says she has a plan, though I don't know what it is yet."

"I don't want you guys to-" I begin before I'm interrupted.

"Gail! Let's have some more drinks! Let's get this party started!" I'd recognize that voice from anywhere. I turn around and there she is. She's not expecting me because she almost misses a step when she sees me standing in the kitchen. She looks at me, blushes and looks away as quickly as possible.

She's wearing the same short skirt from earlier, but now she has on a tee shirt with the GEH logo on it, which is about the sexiest thing I've ever seen. She's on my property, wearing my tee shirt. Now, if only she'd sit on my lap. Patience, Grey. The problem is that I'm good at a lot of things but being patient isn't one of them.

"Oh, I didn't realize you had, um, a guest. Ah, I can go back upstairs. Better yet, I can – " She stammers.

"Ana, sweetie. Margaritas are in the fridge. Help yourself. The other girls will be down soon so we can eat," Gail says, putting a stop to her stammering. She looks from Gail, to Taylor, to me. She nods and goes and gets herself a drink. I get to check out her ass as she bends down to get the pitcher.

She pours herself a glass and takes two giant gulps before she fills the glass again. If she were mine, this is when I'd have to step in and tell her to slow down, to eat before she has anymore alcohol, but she's not mine. And if I do that now, she'll never agree to be mine.

She sips her drink slowly this time, but she doesn't say a word. I don't take my eyes off her. Her cheeks are flushed and I wonder if it's from the alcohol or because of me. She looks at me again and quickly looks away.

"Honey, let's go change for dinner," Gail says as she grabs Taylor's hand. "We'll be right back."

When Ana hears that, she quickly puts down her drink and starts to follow Gail.

"Do you want me to go help you find something to wear, Gail?" Ana asks, panicked like a deer in the headlights.

"Don't be silly. I'll be right back," and before Ana could protest, Gail and Taylor are gone.

Ana goes back to her drink and takes another big gulp. She's facing me while she leans on the counter. She's looking everywhere but at me, and I hate it. She takes another sip. I get up and start walking towards her. She's watching me, but she doesn't say a word. Neither does she budge.

I open up the fridge and find a cheese and crackers platter. I remove it and set it down next to her.

"Eat," I command. Her eyes widen in shock.

"Drink," she says as she holds her glass and takes another sip.

"I guess I better add stubborn to the list, too," I say to her before I grab the glass from her hand. I was going to pour it down the sink, but I decide to drink it instead for no other reason than to put my mouth where her mouth had just been.

I see her staring at me, not quite believing what I just did. I see her eyes narrow. She's not longer trying to hide from me by attaching herself to Gail's kitchen counter. In fact, she moves away from the counter and comes and stands in front of me.

"Not stubborn. Just independent. Self sufficient. Autonomous. You should put those words on my list."

"How about wiseass? Should I add that one too?"

"Definitely. That's a given." She flashes me a smile. Not a shy smile, but a full on smile that makes her eyes sparkle and my heart rate quicken.

I step a little closer and put a stray piece of hair behind her ear. She stands completely still, and I can see that she's stopped breathing for several seconds. She finally starts to breath again by taking a deep breath. She takes one step away from me, but she continues to face me.

"I'm going to start a list for you, but my list won't include charming words. We'll start with audacious," she says while looking up at me, her blue eyes locked with my gray ones. The fear is completely gone now. Now I see fire.

"I prefer intrepid," I tell her.

"High handed."

"I think more dogmatic. Determined," I say back, enjoying our back and forth.

"Pushy," she breaths out.

"I prefer unwavering," I say back.

"Domineering." I see a smirk on her face when she says that last word. I hold her gaze.

I smile at her and take one stop closer, leaving hardly any space between us. If I move just a fragment, our bodies would be touching. Her nipples would be pressed up against my chest. Her breathing is shallow. I see goosebumps on her arms, and I haven't even touched her yet. Her pupils are dilated, and her lips are slightly parted. I hear her intake of breath, fueling me to continue this game. I put another stray piece of hair behind her ear, but this time I gently stroke her earlobe between my thumb and index finger. She lets out a gasp.

"Most definitely," I whisper against her ear. "I am. I own it. But I promise you that it's only in the most –," before I can finish my sentence, the laughter and footsteps of the other guests interrupt us. Ana jumps away from me as if she was in fire. She rushes over and starts a conversation with Gail's sister, leaving me standing there more determined than ever to make her mine.

A/N – I hope you enjoyed chapter 3. Thank you for all the reviews, follows and favorites. Until Laters.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

ALL CREDIT TO ELJ

THE NEXT DAY

ANA

I look in the mirror, unsure about what I'm wearing and what I'm doing. I was so excited about this date a last week when Adam asked me. Now, I just don't know. I don't understand what's changed, but I've lost all enthusiasm about tonight, and about Adam.

I take off the dress I have on and stare at myself in the long mirror. I stand there in nothing but a thong and a strapless bra. Before leaving for his parent's house, Jose had helped me pick out a short, white dress that hugged all my curves. I love the dress but don't want to wear it for this date. I don't want to wear this dress for Adam.

I'd like to wear it for someone else. Someone who gets my pulse and my heart fired up. Someone with penetrating eyes, soft lips and gentle hands. Someone with a hard body. Someone who commands a room without even saying a word. Someone who owns the room just by by walking in it.

No! I shake my head in an attempt to free me of those thoughts. No, Ana. Absolutely not. If Adam doesn't work, you can find someone else who makes you feel all those things. Someone who isn't him.

I put all thoughts of him out of my mind and go back to my closet.

I'm currently sharing a one bedroom apartment with Jose. It's his apartment, but he let me move in and gave me the couch to sleep on, and the coat closet for my clothes, which thankfully aren't much.

I find a pair of light blue, skinny capri jeans and a cold shoulder blue and white top. I quickly change into that and check myself out in the mirror. Not as sexy as the white dress, but this will do. In fact, I'm almost completely covered up. The top is long and covers my behind, which Jose calls my apple butt.

Next, I attack my hair. I straightened it earlier, but instead of leaving it down, I put it up in a ponytail. I put on some light makeup that includes mascara, eyeliner and a little bit of blush for my cheeks.

I look nice, but I feel nothing on the inside. I feel nothing about this date. I'd rather get out of these clothes, sit on the couch and watch a marathon of Snapped while I binge on cookies and cream ice cream.

Maybe I should cancel.

I can call him up and tell him I came down with the flu.

I look at time and realize it's too late for that. He should be here in five minutes.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

Why am I just not feeling this all of a sudden?

It must be because of what Jose said about him being boring. Yeah, that's it. I'm not really in the mood to hear about his grandfather's stamp collection tonight, or whatever the fuck else he finds stimulating.

When I first met Adam, I found him to be good looking. He's a few inches taller than me, with a lean build and dark, curly hair and brown eyes. He's the cousin of the last guy Jose was dating, and we met when we all went to happy hour one night.

He was easy to talk to, though for the life of me I can't remember anything we talked about. Not a single fucking word. I sigh. I remember every word a certain someone else has ever uttered to me.

I should be happy. Not sighing like I'm about to go to the dentist instead of a date. A date I desperately need if I'm going to rid myself of my virginity by my September first deadline. I am not turning twenty four as a virgin. No fucking way. Going this long is without sex is sad enough. I'm getting laid this summer one way or another.

Someone is going to deflower me come hell or high water. It might even be Adam. Despite the fact that he doesn't have crazy ginger hair, or penetrating gray eyes, or broad shoulders, or a witty personality. Or a dimple in his left cheek. He might just put me to sleep while we're doing it, but at least it will get the job done. I don't need fireworks the first time, I just need penetration. I just want to be able to say I'm no longer a virgin, but deep down I know that's not true. I want to have that first time with someone that I have a deep connection with. Someone I care about, love even, but I don't think that's in the cards for me.

With new resolve, I go back and put on red lipstick, hoping that will help me feel more optimistic about this date. I look in the mirror and pucker my lips in an attempt to look sexy. It's a giant fail. I look nice, but I don't feel sexy. Not only that, I don't _want_ to look sexy. Not for Adam.

I hear my phone vibrate and I look down to see a text from Adam telling me he'll be there in about two minutes. I take one last look at myself, remove the red lipstick and change it to something neutral, and head outside to wait for my date.

* * *

Jose wasn't lying when he said Adam was boring. He's droning on and on about something. I think now he's talking about pamphlets.

I try to listen, but my mind can't help but drift elsewhere. I take a sip of my coke, put on a fake smile and do my best to listen so I can at least show that I'm interested. Except, I'm not the least bit interested in him or his pamphlets.

I can't help compare Adam to a certain someone.

I smile thinking about him, and Adam thinks I'm smiling at him. He smiles back and continues to drone on and on, not once asking a question about me.

I tune Adam out completely and think about dinner at Gail and Jason's last night.

 _Once the women came down for dinner last night, I tried to stay as far away from him as possible, but I noticed him watching me as I tried to have a conversation with Gail's sister, Susan. Dinner was served buffet style, and once I filled my plate and found a seat, he managed to find an empty chair next to me. We didn't talk while we ate, but I know he intentionally made contact with my arm every time he moved._

 _It was so difficult to concentrate on my meal. I can't even tell you what was served because I was so nervous. And turned on. I was definitely turned on. My cheeks were flushed. At one point, one of Gail's relatives asked me if I was ok._

 _After listening to the chatter around the table, and Gail and Taylor's plans for their honeymoon, I excused myself and went to the bathroom. I walked down the long hallway and went into the same bathroom I used earlier. I looked in the mirror and noticed my cheeks were completely red. My breathing is labored. I take a few minutes to calm down. Once I'm calm, I splash some cool water on my face. I look in the mirror again, and notice I'm still flushed, but not as much as before. I take a deep breath and open the door so I can go join the others for dessert._

 _Of course, he's watching me as I walk back to the table. I feel self-conscious with his eyes on me as I walk, but I pretend as if I don't notice him. As if that's possible. I take my seat next to him again. While I was gone, someone poured me a margarita and I take a long sip. I need a buzz to deal with this man._

" _So, when do you leave, boss?" Gail asks. I noticed that they don't call him by his first name or Mr. Grey. It's boss._

" _Tuesday afternoon. I'll be gone for about ten days." Interesting. Ten days. I feel a sense of disappointment at that thought, but I quickly check myself. I can breathe with him being gone for ten days. By then, maybe Adam and I could be a couple. For some reason, that thought isn't as comforting as I thought it would be._

 _I look at him, waiting for more information. Where is he going and why? Why so long?_

" _China," he says as if he's able to read my mind. "Ros was supposed to go, but she has a family emergency."_

" _Ros?" I ask._

" _My number two."_

" _Oh," I say, disappointed for some unknown reason. I grab my drink and take another gulp, finishing it. I reach for the pitcher again, but he grabs it first, putting it out of my reach. He takes the glass from me, also putting it out of my reach._

 _Just then, some music comes on._

" _Are you always such a party pooper? This is the second time you've taken my drink away from me?" I ask him._

" _I don't want you to wake up with a hangover."_

" _Why do you care? If I wake up hungover, that's my business, not yours," I say to him, annoyed. Who does he think he is?_

" _That's where you're wrong. You are my business," he says to me, almost dismissively._

" _Really? Since when, and says who?"_

" _Says me. And ever since I first laid eyes on you."_

" _Says you?"_

" _Says me."_

 _I look at him then. We're both seated at the table, and I look into his eyes. I lean in closer to him, invading his space. He inhales, and if I didn't know any better, I'd think he was smelling me._

" _Overbearing," I say to him._

" _Valiant," he says back to me._

" _Ana! Come dance!" I look behind Grey and see Gail's cousin, Amanda, waving to me. Amanda is in her early thirties and is just happy to be away from her husband and kids for a weekend._

 _I smile as I watch them all dancing to Usher's Yeah. I quickly get up and join them, not giving Grey a second look. Dancing to old hip hop songs is my passion, so I lose myself to the music._

 _Dancing and baking. The only things I'm good at. I move my hips and shake my ass. I guess that last drink did its job because I'm feeling bolder than usual. I look his way, and he's looking at me. His eyes roaming over my body. I see his Adam's Apple bob as he swallows, but he never takes his eyes off my body. The song ends, and Mariah Carey's We Belong Together comes on. His eyes finally meet mine as I continue to dance, slower and more sensual this time._

 _I know the others around me are dancing too. Taylor is holding Gail in his arms as they sway to this song, but I hardly notice any of them. My eyes are locked with the most intense pair of gray eyes I've ever seen. In fact, his eyes look damn near black now. It's as if some storm clouds have come in, giving him a feral look._

 _While his eyes are still locked with mine, he stands up and walks towards me. Like a hunter towards its prey, except I'm not afraid. I'm excited. He reaches me as Mariah Carey continues to sing. He grabs my hips and brings me closer to him. We move in perfect rhythm together. We're close, but our bodies are barely touching. I get a whiff of his scent. It's that same cologne I smelled in his office, now it's mixed with his own unique smell. I want to lay my head on his chest and drown in his scent. I try to move closer to him, but he keeps his hands on my hips, preventing me from moving closer._

 _Emboldened by the alcohol, I take my fingers and run them through his hair. He closes his eyes and inhales as if he's relishing my touch._

 _The song finally ends, and another hip hop song comes on. It's a faster song, but we just continue to stand there, looking at each other._

" _I need to leave now. Right now." His voice is strained and quickly steps away from me. He goes to Gail and Taylor. I can't hear what they're saying over the music, but Gail and Taylor nod at whatever he says. He turns around and looks at me one last time before walking out of the house._

 _I run back to the table and pour myself another drink. I drink it quickly, in an attempt to put out the fire burning within me. It doesn't work._

I even dreamt about him that night. As I slept in one of Gail's guestrooms, my mind was full of thoughts of him. I tried to push them away. He's not what I want. He's too much. I'm a simple girl, and he's the definition of complicated. He's the opposite of simple. He's famous. Or infamous. However you want to look at it. He has a reputation. I have too much to deal with to deal with him. I could never handle a relationship with him. It would be like getting thrown into the deep end when you're just learning to swim. Nothing about this man is easy, and I need easy right now. Those are all the ways I try to convince myself about our incompatibility.

But there are so many other things too. There's a depth to him. Behind the mischief in his eyes, sometimes I see a sadness. He's caring. I can tell that he is. The way he is with his employees, and the way they love him. That's telling. In his own bossy, overbearing way, he was trying to take care of me. And contrary to his preferred way to have sex, I know there's a gentleness within him. He was gentle with me, and he's gentle to his nephew. He's also dangerous. I've read stories about his actions in the boardrooms. He's been involved in several hostile takeovers. Even though I'm not sure what that is and all it entails, the words hostile takeover sound pretty antagonistic.

But he employs thousands, and GEH has little to no turnover in his company. When everything happened, it was speculated that he would resign and let someone else run he company, but he didn't. He showed up every day and worked as if his life was not imploding. That takes guts. He could have left and let someone else take his place, but he chose to fight. That's admirable.

He's a damn contradiction.

Which is why I need to stay far, far away.

But the night of the shower, I had a dream. In my dream, when I stepped out of Gail's bathroom, he was outside the door, waiting for me.

I almost collide into him when I open the door. He pushes me back into the bathroom and closes the door behind him. I'm leaning against the sink panting.

"What are you doing?" I ask him.

"We were interrupted before we finished our conversation," he says as he approaches me. The bathroom is not very big so it only takes him two steps before he's right in front of me.

"No, we were done," I say adamantly.

"We're just getting started," he says.

"Contrarian," I say to him. He gives me a deep smile, showcasing that dimple.

"Intractable."

I open my mouth to speak, but he puts his finger against my lips, silencing me.

"Let's go back to domineering," he says. "We were so rudely interrupted just when things were getting good." He removes his finger from lips. I involuntarily lick my lips. He takes one more step, practically pressing himself against me.

"My dominance? I own it. I make no apologies. I promise you, you will love it." Before I can respond, he runs the back of his hand across my cheek. I nipples instantly harden, and a full a throbbing between my legs.

I find my voice.

"Autonomous, remember?"

"See, this is where you misunderstand. I can be dominant and you and be autonomous. The two aren't mutually exclusive." He steps even closer to me. "We will be fire. Explosive." He leans down to kiss me, but I wake up before our lips touch.

I woke up sweaty, and more aroused than I've ever been in my entire life.

"So, I make all my own jams. What's your favorite? I can make you whatever you like," I hear Adam say, jolting me back to the hear and now.

What? Jams? Is this guy for real?

"Uh, strawberry or grape," I say. I take a sip of my coke. I decided on no alcohol today. I had enough booze yesterday and I have work tomorrow.

"I can make those for you," he says and starts telling me his step by step process. Maybe I will order some alcohol after all.

The waitress comes with our order. A cheeseburger and fries for me, and a bunch of wings and fries for him. I take a bite of my burger, barely tasting it.

As I try to listen to Adam talk about the salads he makes at his restaurant, I see a shadow on our table. I look up expecting the waitress, but to my surprise, it's not her. I'm stunned speechless when I see who it is.

"Gail? Jason? What are you two doing here?" I ask them. I stand up and hug them, relieved to see them.

"Everyone left to go back home and we thought we'd get out of the house for a bite to eat," Gail says.

"But here? You two don't strike me as the Buffalo Wild Wings type," I say. They hang out with a billionaire all day long. And I've gotten to know Gail recently. She prefers higher end restaurants. Everything she eats is organic or grass fed so why the hell are they here? And all Jason does is talk about Gail's cooking, and how he prefers that to eating out.

Out of all the restaurants in Seattle and its surrounding areas, they end up here at the same time as me. That's just odd. Too odd. They can afford any restaurant they want, so why would they come here.

"Well, I interned for them. I went to culinary school in Minnesota, where they are headquartered. In fact, I'm responsible for some of their sauces," she says.

Really? She's never mentioned this before. I think back to when I told he about this date. In fact, last night she asked me where we were going. When I told her I didn't know, she insisted I find out. When I simply shrugged and said I'd find out later, she kept pressuring me to contact Adam and find out right away. For the sake of safety, she said. A girl can never be too safe, she said. You have to let people know where you are in case something happens. It sounded like the safe thing to do at the time, so I texted Adam and when he suggested this place, I agreed. Gail didn't stop there, though. She insisted that I choose a time right then and there. I didn't think much of it. I figured she was being protective, so I did what she said. Being an only child, I was kind of amused by Gail's protective caring behavior.

Now, here she is. Huh.

But I'm so relieved to see them, I don't give it much more thought. I quickly introduce them to Adam.

I do the polite thing and ask them to join us, expecting them to say no, but the words are barely out of my mouth before they're sitting down. Adam doesn't seem too put out, not that I would care at this point. This date is a dud, and Gail and Jason just saved me.

Gail and Jason order a bunch of appetizers for the table. Gail talks to Adam about cooking and recipes, basically monopolizing him. Not that I care. Hopefully he won't bore her to death.

Jason focuses on me, and I tell him about my plans to hopefully register for classes for the fall this week.

"I have some financial aid, but I'm still a few thousand dollars short. I have an appointment with the bursar's office. Hopefully we can work something out," I tell him.

"I'm sure it will all work out. Don't even worry about it," he says as he reaches for another wing.

I grab my coke for another sip when I notice Taylor's phone start to vibrate. Boss flashes on the screen. I almost choke on my drink.

He takes the phone and they have the strangest conversation. He only answers in one or two words.

"Fine."

"As expected."

"Affirmative."

"No worries."

"Will do."

That's it. That's the entire conversation.

A part of me wishes he had put it on speaker so I could hear his voice.

After a while, I excuse myself to use the restroom, and Gail stands to follow me. She goes and gives Taylor a kiss on the cheek and she whispers something in his ear. He nods.

We're in the bathroom for longer than I thought. Gail takes her time fixing her hair and makeup. Not that there was anything wrong with her hair and makeup. She looks flawless with her short blond hair and minimal makeup. She's wearing a cute little blue sundress with white sandals.

When we return to the table, Adam is gone, and Jason is signing the check.

"Did Adam go to the bathroom?" And why did he stick Jason with the check?

"No. He had to go. He had a work emergency?" Jason says.

"But he said he had today off? What kind of cooking emergency could there be? He makes salads, for goodness sakes." How rude! He doesn't even have the decency to tell me to my face. He leaves and sticks my friend with the check and leaves me here knowing he was my ride home? I reach for my purse.

"How much do I owe you, Jason?"

"Nothing. Put your money away. We crashed your date so it's the least we can do."

"Yes, put your money away, Ana. Jason's got it."

"You guys don't have to do this," I say.

"We insist. I've already paid and I'm not taking any money from you," Jason says putting an end to that conversation.

"Thank you."

Since I have no car, Jason offers to give me a ride home.

"He was kind of boring," I say on the way home after Gail asks me about the date. "Not what I'm looking for," I say. What the hell am I looking for? Whatever it is, Adam does not have it.

"You two are lucky to have found each other. It's hard out here for the rest of us," I say jokingly.

"I'm sure you'll be part of a couple in no time," Gail says. "As beautiful and sweet as you are."

"Well, you're biased because you're my friend. I'm convinced I'll be alone forever Gail. Or I'll be stuck with Jose and an apartment full of cats since neither one of us can find a significant other. Seattle's a big city. It shouldn't be this hard to meet someone. You know what? I'm going to set up that dating profile this week."

"Who knows? You've probably already met him," Gail says as Jason pull up in front of Jose's apartment building. I see Jose's car parked in the lot.

"Yeah, right. Gail, what do you think of eHarmony or Match?" I say out loud.

"The boss will be gone starting Tuesday. Let's do lunch this week and we'll talk about it. How about Friday?" Gail asks.

"Works for me. Are you going with him, Jason?"

"Not this time. Gail and I are working on some last minute things for the wedding."

We say our goodbyes and I run inside. I spend the rest of the night telling Jose about my strange weekend, and the strangest date I've ever had.

"I told you his ass was boring. You should listen to me next time. I know what the fuck I'm talking about." I roll my eyes after hearing that for the dozenth time in one night.

* * *

"Gurl, you should be celebrating. Not sitting around here looking like that! Your problems have just been solved. Well, our problems since I'm moving in with you," Jose says as he grabs a box and starts throwing in random shit in it.

"But, it just doesn't seem right. Something definitely is not right about this, Jose," I say back to him.

It's Monday night and we're at home waiting on the pizza we ordered.

I left work early today to go to the campus to figure out a payment plan and register for the fall classes, but I got the surprise of my life when I got there.

I was told that I qualified for a scholarship, and not only did it cover my tuition, but it also provided me with a stipend. A twenty five thousand dollar stipend. I sat there dumbfounded as I was handed a check. The biggest check I've ever received in my life.

"It's right. If the university decides it's right and they hand you a check, it's right. Those assholes aren't in the business of giving away money. Those blood suckers love to take money from us."

"I can understand the scholarship, even though they were really cagey about it. I couldn't get a straight answer out of the guy. He told me it was in the computer and if I wanted answers, I'd have to talk to his boss, who conveniently was out of the country. What I don't get is the stipend for that amount. The tuition isn't even that much. How do I qualify for a stipend that's more than the tuition? And how the fuck did I get a scholarship I didn't apply for?" I run my fingers through my hair, feeling so frustrated.

"I don't know. Maybe it's part of the endowment, whatever the fuck that is. Who cares! We're rich!" I roll my eyes at him.

The money is a godsend. I owe about eight thousand dollars in taxes from the house I inherited from my mother. The house is paid for, but the taxes are due. I was going to try and work out something with the county, but now I can pay it in full and still have something left over. I can even furnish the place.

Maybe put a down payment on a better car. This solves a lot of problems, but it's seems fishy.

"I just don't want this to bite me in the butt. I don't want to spend the money only to find out it was a mistake and I have to pay it back."

"Ana, those cheap bastards at WSU would not hand you a check for that much unless it was authorized by the high ups. I got a stipend my first year there, but not that much. Nobody came chasing after me to pay it back. This is a good thing." The bell rings and, Jose goes downstairs to get our pizza.

He's right. This lifts a huge burden off my shoulders, but something about it is off. There's a nagging feeling in the back of my head, but I can't entertain that right now.

Maybe I should listen to Jose and look at this as good news.

As much as I dread moving into Carla's old house, I know it's time. I've put it off for almost a year now, and with Jose's lease coming up, it's time to go. I've been sleeping on his couch for six months now. The deal was that he would let me stay here until his lease was up, and then we would move into the house together. I'll need the rent he'll pay, but the idea of moving there causes so much anxiety.

The relationship between me and Carla was not good. In fact, I had cut her out of my life completely years ago. We went three years without speaking, most of which was due to me not taking her calls and refusing to speak with her whenever she would show up at Ray's.

I was angry and refused to hear anything she had to say. Now, I regret that every day. I hate that I wasted so much time, and now there will never be an opportunity to make things right between us. I hate that I'm responsible for her being gone.

"Food's here," Jose says. My stomach growls at the smell of the pizza. We stop talking about the money and eat while we watch some mindless show on tv.

"I didn't get my G-Money fix today. His sexy ass didn't come in at all," Jose says as he takes a drink.

"He's going to China for ten days starting tomorrow. I'm sure he's busy." I don't mention that I looked for him this morning too and was disappointed when I didn't see him.

"Look at you. All in the know."

I simply shrug my shoulders at him.

"Gurl, you should see the suit I'm wearing to the wedding. It's Armani. Courtesy of the thrift shop." He giggles. Actually giggles. All of Jose's clothes come from the thrift shop. I don't know how he manages to find the stuff he does.

"I still have to find something."

"We can shop this weekend, but I'm gonna look so damn good. There's got to be one gay Grey that I can get with. Fat bank account an all." I roll my eyes at him.

* * *

"Lemon poppy seed," I say as I look into those piercing gray eyes.

He's back today. Looking sexy as sin in a gray pinstripe suit. I guarantee that that didn't come from the thrift shop.

"What happened to blueberry?" He asks.

"We're offering something new now, sir," I say. His eyes darken instantly. What the fuck did I say to cause that reaction?

"Well, in that case, get me a lemon poppy seed muffin. I'm always open to new things," he says his double meaning clear. I get him a muffin and a large coffee.

It doesn't escape my notice that Jose is watching us like we're a television show. His arms are crossed and he's looking from me to him, and back again.

I hand him his purchase, but he doesn't move to the cash register.

"I'm leaving for China today."

"Ok." I make no mention of the fact that that's all I've thought about since I first learned about his trip.

"I'll probably have to go back there again sometime early next year. Probably around the time that you'll be on spring break."

"Okay?" Why the fuck is he telling me this?

"Do you have a passport?"

"No."

"Get one."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you'll be coming with me next time."

He sounds so sure of himself.

"Really?" I ask.

"Really," he says back.

"Thank you for planning out my future for me," I say sarcastically.

"You're welcome." He smiles, showing off that damn dimple. He finally goes to the register where Jose rings him up. Surprisingly, Jose hasn't said anything, but he's entranced by our conversation.

"Presumptuous," I say as he starts to walk away. He stops, turns around and pierces me with his gray eyes.

"Undeterred," he says as he walks away.

"What the fuck was that, Ana?" I hear Jose say as I continue to watch Grey walk away. "You're keeping shit from me and I don't like it. Talk! Now!"

 **A/N - I hope you enjoyed this chapter. In the next chapter, we will meet Grace Grey and the rest of the Grey clan.**

 **I wonder what Jason said to Adam to make him leave as soon as Ana's back was turned. Hmm….**

 **Thank you for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting.**


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

I DON'T OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. ALL CREDIT IS TO ELJ

CHRISTIAN

I close my eyes to tune out the argument that's happening in the room just down the hall. I lay flat on my back, wearing nothing but my boxers and a tee shirt as I stare at the ceiling fan above my bed.

Round and round it goes.

I just stare at it and stare at it as it continues to spin.

Spinning. That's a perfect metaphor for my life lately. It's spinning out of my control. First with my private life, and now when I have that under some form of control, this woman won't leave my mind. And she thinks I'm the hurricane? She's come into my life and turned everything upside down with nothing more than a smile.

I arrived back from Shanghai late last night, and after tossing and turning for hours, I finally fell asleep and had sweet dreams of her. In my dream, she was in the meadow at my house on the sound. I heard her laughter, and when I searched, I saw her standing there with her back to me and her long wavy hair blowing in the wind. She turns around when I approach and gave me the sweetest smile. It was as if she's been waiting for me to find her, and when I do, I take her in my arms and together we walk into the house.

I have no idea what time it is, but I'm guessing it's late morning or early afternoon.

"No!" I hear him say from the next room.

"Dude, you better get in that tub," Elliot yells back at his son. I roll my eyes at my brother fighting with a two year old boy.

Of course, he had to crash in my suite. The bastard is probably too cheap to get his own suite here in Lake Adriana, Montana.

About a mile away is our parent's ranch, where they are hosting a wedding for my cousin, Shana Trevelyan, soon to be Shana Hornsby.

I had forgotten all about this damn wedding until I got texts from Elliot, Mia and dad reminding me. Normally, mom is the one tasked with reminding us of all these family obligations, but she was suspiciously silent on this one. My instincts tell me she was probably hoping I'd forget and not show up. My heart tells me that that hurts to have your mother not want you at a major family event.

Too bad for her, though, because I'm not hiding from the world for anybody. I didn't run and hide when my sex life was revealed for the world, and I'm not going to run and hide from these family obligations. My cousin wants me here, so here is where I will be.

I hear little feet running down the hall, accompanied with giggling. I hear my brother's big feet following behind, but he's not laughing.

"EJ! Get over here right now!"

"No, daddy! Come get me!" More running and giggling.

I cover my face with my hands, blocking my view of the ceiling fan. I take a deep breath and think about my life. A life full of financial success, but also filled with loneliness. Loneliness I didn't even realize until recently.

Not until I saw her.

I reach over and grab my phone, confirming that it's an hour before noon. I scan through my pictures and find one from Gail's shower a few weeks ago. She didn't even realize I took that picture. She was standing in the middle of the meadow, looking at the garden. It's a profile picture with her long, brown hair blowing in the wind. I flip through and find another one of her standing there and looking down at EJ.

The profile picture is my favorite of her. She looks so young, beautiful and even a little wistful with a hint of sadness.

"Why is there sadness in your eyes, beautiful?" I whisper out loud.

I remember her conversation with Jose, and she said something about a giant mistake. What is it? I asked Gail about it, but she didn't know.

I guess I'll have to find out on my own, but how the fuck am I supposed to do that? I have no idea how to get this woman to give me a chance. I know she's attracted to me. I can tell by her constant blushing and the way her body reacts to mine. How her breathing changes when I'm near her.

What I do know is that she's not afraid of me. Not in the least. Anyone who is bold enough to sneak into my bedroom, is not afraid of much. And the way she responds to me and calls me out when I attempt to boss her around. The way she stands up, squares her shoulders and looks me in the eye before she responds to something I've said tells me that this woman is someone who knows how to stand up for herself. She's quiet, but she's fierce, and I love that about her.

When we danced together, I knew she wanted me. I know she was as aroused as I was. I don't remember the last time I was so turned on by somebody just by dancing. In fact, I got the hell out of there as soon as possible before everybody could see just how aroused I was. I quickly made the short trip back to my house where I took care of my not so little problem. Just like a damn teenager, it was over with in under two minutes.

As much as I love my family, I'd rather be at home right now. I was hoping to be back in the office yesterday, so I can see Ana. Is it possible to miss someone you're not even with yet? I say yet because I'm going to make it my life's mission to make her mine. And soon because I don't do waiting.

"You can't get me," I hear. I hear more little feet, followed by bigger feet and giggling and Elliot's exasperated laugh.

I roll out of bed. I swear, my brother is a complete moron. How the hell does he get anything done? I open my door just in time for EJ to coming running into my room, without a stitch of clothing on. He grabs my legs and I lean down and swoop him up.

He's laughing and trying to wiggle out of my arms, but I hold on tight. I swear it's like trying to carry a live fish.

"EJ, why do you smell like a barn?" I ask him.

"Because he went riding with mom and Mia this morning and now he refuses to bathe," Elliot says, full of exasperation.

"That's nonsense, EJ. Men need to smell good all the time. That's how we get the ladies," I say. He giggles as he tries to wiggle away. I smile at the memory of a certain snoop smelling my cologne.

"No, Uncle Chrissy," he says. I carry him into the bathroom and plop him down in the bath water that Elliot had prepared for him.

"I'll handle it from here, Elliot, since you're completely useless. Can you even tie your own shoes?" He reaches over, covers EJ's eyes with one hand and gives me the middle finger with the other hand before walking out of the bathroom.

"Thanks, asshole," he says as he walks out the door.

"Asshole!" EJ repeats, and I sigh as I reach for the soap.

* * *

An hour later, Elliot, myself and a fresh smelling EJ enter the Grey ranch. The wedding is at sunset, but mother is hosting a luncheon for the bride's side of the family. Shana is my mother's oldest niece, daughter of her baby brother so she dotes on her.

I love my cousin, too. We've summers and holidays together, so it's surreal to see the tomboy who used to chase after me and Elliot getting married.

The house is bustling with guests, and EJ makes a mad dash for his grammy as soon as we walk through the door.

"Grammy!"

"There's my boy," she says as she picks him and kisses his cheeks. How she manages to do all of that without putting down her martini takes real talent. He makes a face and wipes his cheeks before running off to find grandpa.

"Mother," I say as I kiss her cheek. Elliot does the same.

"Boys," she says, looking at us. She reaches over and fixes my collar, careful not to touch my chest or shoulders. "Christian, welcome back. How was China?" She asks while sipping her drink.

"Well, mother. Very productive, but I'll have to go back sometime in the spring." Except this time, I won't be alone. I'll have someone with me. I don't quite know how I'm going to pull that off yet, but I will.

"Sounds wonderful, dear. Elliot, I thought you and EJ were going to stay here with us?" Mom asks. I make note that she didn't mention me staying here.

"Too many women around crying over wedding stuff, mom. Besides, you know Christian can't live without me."

I snort before I punch him in the arm.

"Cut it out, boys," mom says. "Set an example for EJ. If you're going to be a single father, Elliot, act like an adult and act responsibly. And, Christian, I trust you won't bring any more scandal on this family this weekend." And with that she leaves us and goes to talk to the caterer.

"And here I thought being a single father was taking responsibility. Guess she told me. I'm gonna go find my son," Elliot says as he shakes his head and walks out of the room.

Grace Grey. Our dear mother, who until recently was always very loving towards us, both in words and deeds, but somehow things shifted. For Elliot it was when EJ came into his life, and how he came. As soon as paternity was confirmed, mother unleashed her fury on my brother for being so irresponsible and stupid enough to create this situation.

To make matters worse, EJ's mother relinquished her rights and left Elliot with a six month old infant, one he didn't even know he had until she dropped him off on his doorstep.

As soon as I saw EJ, I knew he was Elliot's. They look just alike, and they act alike too.

Once Elliot's shock wore off, and he couldn't get in touch with EJ's mother, something in him changed. He's still the goofball brother I grew up with, but now he's a father, and he takes that seriously.

He doesn't just dump EJ off on his nanny. As soon as Elliot gets home from work, the nanny leaves. He cooks his son dinner each night, plays with him, bathes him, and most importantly, loves him.

Mom, as much as she loves her grandson, was angry at Elliot for his behavior. Elliot's love for the ladies is well known, and mom and dad have been unable to get a handle on him since he was a teenager, but now EJ was the proof of his extracurricular activities, as mother called it once.

Then there's me. My situation is much worse than Elliot's. I embarrassed the family, and Grace won't be embarrassed in front of her country club friends and the hospital where she works. Of course, no one would ever say anything to her face. The Greys are Seattle's most elite family, but everyone whispers. The atmosphere now changes when I walk into a room.

When the news first came out and reporters were hounding me and camped outside of Escala, dad ordered all of us to come home. We were there for days. I worked out of his office, had meetings with Ros and my PR team. I did interviews from there. For the first day, Grace never came out of her bedroom to talk to me. When I told dad I was going find mother myself, he warned me and told me to give her space.

So, I did. And when she finally came down stairs, all I saw was disappointment in her eyes. She looked at me and just shook her head, asking where she went wrong. Then she fixed herself a martini and went back upstairs.

That hurt more than anything the press said about me, and they said some seriously hurtful shit.

I tried to follow mom upstairs, but dad stopped me, and he followed her instead and didn't come back down for hours.

"Hey, big bro," Mia says, breaking me out of my revelry. She brushes up against my side and I put my arm around her, pulling her to me. Mia is the only person I let get this close.

"Hey, Meems."

"Welcome back. We missed you," she says, and gives me a peck on the cheek.

"Who's we? You and EJ?" I joke.

"All of us. Mom must have asked me a dozen times if you were coming to this wedding." Mia is forever trying to convince me that nothing's changed between me and Grace.

"And yet she didn't call me once to ask me herself. And before you make an excuse, me being on the other side of the world never stopped her from calling me before."

"It's hard on her, Christian. She's dealing with it as best she can."

"Hard on her? What about me? It's my private business that's out there for the world. It was my company that was in trouble. A little support from our mother would have been nice. And her looking at me like I'm not a monster would be nice, too."

"Give her time. And she doesn't think you're a monster. She loves you so much. She loves all of us. Anyway, I didn't come to talk about mom. I came to hang out with my favorite big brother."

"I heard that, Mia. Stop lying to Christian," Elliot says as he joins us. He's holding EJ's hand, who is fidgeting and doing his best to get away from his father.

"Hungry!" EJ says. He points to the buffet table. Just then, Shana comes in, along with my aunt and uncle. She makes the rounds and hugs everyone, but only blows me a kiss. She's another one who's sensitive about my touch issues. My uncle shakes my hand, and his wife gives me a quick hug.

We exchange pleasantries for a while, and I talk business with my uncle Bruce. Thankfully, they've never once mentioned my private life. They treat me like they've always had, and for that I'm grateful.

"Come on, EJ. I'll get him fed, El." Mia takes our nephew from Elliot and they approach the table. Elliot and I stay behind.

We watch as Shana talks to mom and shows off her engagement ring. I don't know what mom says to her, but they both end up in tears and start to cry.

The house is full of people, but I feel completely alone. I know I have Elliot, Mia, Carrick, and even Grace, but for the first time in my life, I feel like it's not enough. Something is missing. Or someone.

What I wouldn't give to have her here with me, on my arm. She'd look so beautiful with her big blue eyes looking around, taking all of this in. She'd love this house. I'd tell her to snoop as much as she wants. I'd take her on the trail and ride horses, swim in the lake, or do whatever the hell she wants.

What does she want? That's the question. A boyfriend? Taylor Swift concerts? Hand holding in public? Affection? Material things?

What can I give her? That's easy. I can give her everything.

Mother spots me and Elliot and she walks over to us, holding her martini.

"Boys, lunch is served." She approaches us, and she reaches for me, trying to once again fix the collar of my shirt. I stiffen before I pull out of her reach when it looks like she's about to touch my shoulders.

I see a look of hurt in her eyes.

"Christian, I really wish you'd go back to your therapist. You need to do something about this touch issue. This can't go on," she whispers. For a second, I see the mom I had up until six months ago. "Maybe if you got that under control, you wouldn't need to do _that_ anymore."

And just like that, the caring mom is gone. By _that,_ she means the BDSM. When I explained it to the family, I told them it came about because of my touch issue. What I didn't explain is that I enjoy the lifestyle, and even without the touch issues, I'd still be into BDSM. There are elements of the lifestyle that I would always want to keep.

I just need to convince Ana, but I can do that later. My first goal is just to get her to be with me. We can figure out the rest later.

"I've had therapy for years, mother. Ever since I can remember, you made me go. I continued with it as an adult, and you know what? It doesn't help with my touch issues. Nothing helps."

"Maybe a new therapist, then. You need to do something, because your way of coping just isn't right."

"Not right for whom? It's the only thing that's allowed me to be close to a woman," I tell her. I see her cringe. "Mother, this is not the time or the place for this conversation."

"I didn't raise you to -,"

"Enough, mother," I say before she can continue.

"Fine. Just do your best not to cause another scandal this weekend. Now, you two eat something." She walks away before I can respond. And she chastises me and tries to mother me all in the same breath.

"Thank goodness she didn't come after me again this time," Elliot jokes.

"Lucky you, but I guess this time was my turn."

We continue to just stand there and watch as everyone chats and eats. Mia has sat EJ down, and for once, he's eating on his own.

I watch as a group of women congregate around Shana. They're talking, laughing and crying and hugging.

"You think you'll ever want to do this?" Elliot asks.

"Yes," I say without even thinking about it. Had he asked me this a year ago, or even six months ago, I would have punched him in the face for asking such a dumb question. But, things have changed.

It's almost as if I didn't have a say in these things. I bought a huge house, then I met a girl. This is fate.

"Really? You?"

"Why not me?"

"You've always been so aloof. Up until six months ago, the entire family thought you were celibate. And since your secrets came out, you haven't even been seen with a woman."

"Well, I was never celibate. I just wasn't a whore like you. And I would never just bring any random woman around the family," I tell him.

"So, you're going to find a woman in the lifestyle? I read about it when I found out. Lots of couples are in it together."

"Well, that all depends."

"On what?" I just stare at him.

"Oh. On Ana. You like her that much?" Jesus! Didn't I just have this conversation with him at Gail's shower.

"I wore a pink shirt to a bridal shower. What do you think, Einstein?" I'm so exasperated by this conversation.

"You know what? I bet she likes that shit. She has this innocent look, but it's always the innocent looking ones who are the freakiest. I'm so jealous of you, bro," Anyone else, I'd punch for talking about her that way, but I just laugh at him. I hope he's right. He's an idiot most of the time, but he can be pretty intuitive.

"Don't talk about my woman being freaky again," I joke back.

"Your woman, huh? Good for you, asshole. Anyway, I'd love to find someone and give my son a family. We're a package deal, so she'll have to love EJ too. But for now, I'll settle for finding a bridesmaid to fuck tonight." I shake my head at him, and am about to give a smart ass response, but we're surprised my mother, who was standing right behind us for God knows how long.

"Elliot!" She chastises. "Watch your language. This is a family affair and there are children present. I expect you to act appropriately and not bring any more shame to the Grey name."

"It was just a joke, mom. Relax," Elliot says in an attempt to appease our mother. He puts both hands up, in mock surrender.

"That's your problem, Elliot Grey. Everything is a joke to you. Every woman is a potential conquest for you. Haven't you made enough mistakes?"

"Woah. What mistake are you referring to mom?"

"How many more children do you have out there? I wouldn't be surprised if more women drop off offspring you didn't know you sired on your doorstep." She says.

"Mother," I say to her, taking her focus off Elliot. I love my mom, but I've had enough of her judgmental attitude. "Are you talking about your grandson? Is that the mistake you're referring to? He's not now nor has he ever been a mistake," I say to her. For months, her actions have hurt me, but never has she made me this angry.

"Oh, get off your high horse, Christian. I love my grandson, and you know it. I love all of my children, it's your actions that I don't love. Do you mean to tell me that Elliot meant to knock up some random woman, and be a single father when this woman decides motherhood is not for her? It's time you both stop being so damn selfish."

"Well, excuse us for not being as perfect as you, mother. It doesn't matter what Elliot's done. His son is here now and is a part of our family, and we love him. And selfish? He's turned his entire life around for that little boy. My brother doesn't have a selfish bone in his body. And if you want to call me selfish for finding a way to find some intimacy, go ahead. You sit on your throne and judge us while you sip on your what? Your third or fourth martini of the day? And it's barely one in the afternoon." She takes a sharp intake of breath. I've never in my life spoken to my mother this way, and guilt immediately takes over.

"I did not raise my son to talk to me like this." Before I can apologize, she walks away.

"Thanks, bro, but dad is going to kill us for this." Elliot says, running his hands over his face.

"I'm sick of her judgments," is all I say.

Just as expected, dad approaches. It's always been like this. Whenever we would get in trouble with mom as kids, she'd tell dad and he would approach us to administer a lecture or a punishment.

"I don't have time to deal with you two right now. Christian, you owe your mother an apology. Elliot, watch your damn language, and if I see you talking to any female who is not related to you this weekend, I'm going to embarrass you by dragging you away by your hair. This is your cousin's wedding, not a single's bar. Keep it in your pants. Now, the three of us are going to have lunch this week when we get back to Seattle and figure out a way to bring this family back together. It's time this family moves the fuck on." Dad walks away after he speaks, not giving us a chance to respond. Both Elliot and I are surprised by his outburst because he hardly ever swears. Only when he's arguing with mother. This tells me he's frustrated with Grace Grey as well as me and Elliot.

"Let's go eat, bro," Elliot says. I follow him to the buffet, where we eat and mingle with the extended family.

After the wedding is over, and I'm back in the hotel, I go back to staring at the ceiling fan above my bed.

It was your typical wedding. A weeping bride, a proud groom, vows, kiss, reception, speeches and dancing. It was picture perfect. Except for the part where I felt all alone. I felt a void like I've never felt before, and only one person can fill it.

So, what does she want? A boyfriend who brings her breakfast in bed? Easy.

 **A/N – I hope this chapter wasn't too boring. I hope everyone enjoyed Grace Grey. Don't worry, Christian will be back in Seattle soon, and our couple will continue their word play. What has Ana been up to? Did she ever set up that online dating profile? Did she have any more dates? We'll find out in chapter 6.**


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

ALL CREDIT TO ELJ. I OWN NOTHING

ANA

Safe. Sane. Consensual.

Limits.

Safe words.

Master.

Those are the words that keep coming back to me after the little research that I did in BDSM. The submissive sets the rules and decides what he or she is willing and unwilling t to do. The submissive discusses with the master/mistress what she is willing to do.

No way in hell I would ever call anyone master.

There's a long list of sex acts that under the BDSM umbrella. Most of which I've heard of, and most do sound erotic.

Role play, bondage, discipline and sadomasochism seem like they would be very enjoyable, but breath play and blood play would be a definite no. And no to humiliation as well.

I guess these things would all be discussed and agreed upon prior to agreeing to a relationship, but it seems so complicated and completely out of my comfort zone.

I sigh and close my laptop. I lay back on the couch and watch as the ceiling fan spins around and around, just like my life.

Christian Grey is definitely complicated. Or he could just be overly simple. Depends on how you look at it, I guess. Either way, he and I aren't meant to be. I want a boyfriend, not a contract. I want to go to the movies on a Friday night, have a picnic in the park on a Sunday afternoon or spend the day just being together, not living by a set of rules drawn out before we can even kiss.

Oh, that's another thing, he doesn't kiss. The women said that he would only kiss on the very rare occasion. But, he kissed me in the bedroom. And what a kiss it was. I get goosebumps just thinking about it. The way his firm body felt against mine. His warm lips and his hands on my face are things I will never forget. I'll compare every other kiss to that one, but I must move on.

Maybe I'll finally post that damn online dating profile. Gail was completely unhelpful when we had lunch last week. When I asked her for an opinion on a dating site, she warned me against stranger danger. When I tried to explain that online dating is as safe as meeting someone the old fashion way, she suggested I should just wait and try to meet someone the regular way instead. Just like how she met Jason. She said fate just threw them together and she was sure fate would work for me in the same way. She repeated that same line about how I've probably already met the one and I just don't know it yet.

Yeah, right. Like stuff like this happens to people like me.

I reminded her that my date with Adam was a bust, and that I have to take matters into my own hands. I didn't tell her about my September first deadline to get deflowered, but I need to move quick.

So, I just changed the subject, realizing that Gail was not going to help me find love online.

I sigh again, just bored with my life and so sick of being this lonely. I grab my cell phone and look at some of the selfies I took over the past week. I'm not happy with using any of them as my online profile picture. I start scanning through, looking for a good picture of me when Jose walks in.

"Doing the walk of shame, I see," I say to him without even looking up.

"Gurl, you know I have no shame." We both laugh since that's become our usual exchange whenever Jose stays out all night.

"What do you think of this one as my online dating profile picture?" I ask as I shove my cell phone in his face.

"Um, no. You look constipated in that one. I'll take some of you later after you've run a brush through that mess on top of your head."

"Oh, shut up," I say to him.

"And you need some conditioner too. You know, G-Money will be back tomorrow. And don't let me start in on you again for not telling me about that kiss. And you got caught snooping in the man's bedroom. You've got balls, Steele. Balls of steel!"

"I've already told you everything that happened that weekend, so back off," I say to him. I've told him the story about a dozen times in the past two weeks.

"I just know I'm going to need a cold shower if he looks at you the same way he did last time. And to think, I had to find out that way. Your ass should have called me the minute you got busted sneaking into his bedroom."

"I'm sure he's moved on already. Men like that don't stay interested in girls like me forever."

"Girls like you?" He asks confused.

"Boring. Vanilla. He's probably just interested in the chase."

"Don't think so. He's stood in line for pastries for months. He ain't going anywhere anytime soon."

"Can we not talk about Grey? That's all ever talk about these days."

"Um, no we cannot not talk about him. The man said he's taking you to China, Ana! Fucking China! And you sit here talking about posting some stupid ass online dating profile. Girl, please. Pack your bags and head on over to Shanghai or whatever the hell the capital of China is."

"Are you forgetting who we're talking about here and what he likes to do? I'm not into that stuff," I tell him as I get off the couch and head into the kitchen for some water. Of course, Jose follows me there.

"Ana, just consider it role playing. It's sex. Everyone has a kink. I like to be watched," he says.

"Yeah, I know. How many times have I walked in on you?"

"Stop interrupting. The point is, everyone has their thing. You just don't know what yours is yet, but you might like it. There's nothing wrong with a little spanking. You have to figure it out with him, but you're over thinking it. Enjoy the man. Let him teach you. You don't ever have to do anything you don't want to. That's the rule of BDSM. You have to consent to it all. And I consent I'm going to need a cold shower tomorrow after he looks at you," he says while dramatically fanning himself with his hand.

"I don't think that's how you use consent in a sentence," I say, shaking my head at my best friend, who always has a way of making everything I believe to be complicated look so simple.

"Well, I consent this conversation is over."

"Still wrong."

All of a sudden, Jose's mood changes and he becomes serious. I already know what he's going to ask, but I wish he wouldn't.

"So, BFF, do you want me to come with you on Wednesday?" He follows me back to the couch, plops himself next to me and grabs my hand.

"No." I say and pull my hand away.

"Let me be there for you, Ana."

"I appreciate you wanting to come with me, but this is something I need to do on my own. I have to do this, ok?" I say to him.

"If you need me, I'll be there."

"I know you will, and I love you for it, but just this time, I'll need to do it on my own. Next year, you can come."

"You're so brave, Ana Banana."

"Not really."

"You know you can take the entire day off. Rosie is starting tomorrow, so you don't need to come back to work if you don't want to." He says reaching for my hand again.

"Thanks, but just the morning will be fine. I'll be back for the lunch rush."

He leans his head on my shoulder and we sit in silence.

* * *

That night, Jose made me wash my hair, and he can blow dried and straightened it so that I can look presentable for G-Money. After all that primping, I lay on the couch and stare at the ceiling fan again.

Just like my life, the fan goes around and around, never reaching anywhere.

I reach down and grab my laptop and type BDSM relationships in the search engine.

Now I regret not using the opportunity to ask him more questions when he offered. Right now, I'd really like to know whether it's BDSM or nothing. Oh, and if he can show me his dick.

I click on the first headline in my google search, A Beginner's Guide to Submission, followed by BDSM Relationships for Beginners. I read several more, and all of the articles have the same message. Both partners are equal, communication is a must, know your limits, etc. Can I truly be submissive? Can I relinquish control to somebody else in the bedroom? How the hell would I know that? I've never even had sex before.

I slam my laptop again and close my eyes.

I can't deal with this right now.

Besides, no one has asked me to be a submissive anyway.

* * *

"I thought you said he'd be back today?" Jose asks me around 3 pm on Monday after closing down the café. He's mopping the floor as I empty the cash register. The new hire, Rosie, a friend of Jose's parents, is wiping down the counter.

"I don't have access to his calendar, Jose. He said he'd be gone for ten days, so this would have been his first day back to work. What's it to us when he gets back to the office?" I try to act nonchalant, but I expected him this morning, and when he didn't show up, I felt disappointment, not that I would ever admit that to anyone.

"The man has been here everyday ordering pastries and looking at you like he wants to spread you on said pastries, and you ask what's it to us? After being gone so long, I kept picturing the look he was going to give you this morning. That's why I kept that spray bottle nearby. I need to spray myself and cool down just from those looks alone, girl," he says all of this without even looking up at me. He simply continues to mop the floor.

"Oh, whatever. Who's to say he's not back. Maybe he is, and he just hasn't come through the main lobby. Didn't you tell me he has his own private elevator through the garage?"

"That's bullshit. If he were here, he'd make a beeline to this café. To you." I simply shake my head and continue to count the money.

"Have you asked Gail or Jason where he's been?" Jose just won't let this go.

"No. I'm not going to gossip about him to his employees. It's none of our business where he is."

I think back to when he told me he wanted certain things to be my business. I've done nothing but shut him out and tell him no, maybe he's lost interest. Maybe he offered someone a contract. Didn't the women say he was monogamous in his relationships? If so, he won't be pursuing me anymore. Maybe it was just a game to him, and now he's lost interest.

If so, my feelings won't be hurt. Nothing happened between us anyway, and it's probably for the best that things never went any further than a kiss. I suddenly feel foolish standing here and thinking about a man who is not only out of my league socially and financially, but also sexually. I have nothing to offer a man with that much experience in the bedroom. I've never even so much as given a man a hand job before, never mind a blow job. Christian Grey would probably just laugh at me and call my attempts at seduction clumsy.

I dodged a bullet. I'm actually relieved. In fact, I'm going to post that online dating profile tonight. Jose took enough selfies of me with my straightened hair and my face made up. I'll just choose one of those.

Instead of just one dating profile, I think I'll set up two. Gail will freak out when I tell her over our Friday lunch date, but it's time I've met a man and lose my virginity.

"Jose, let's set up my online dating profile tonight. I'm ready," I tell him. He looks up at me and shakes his head.

"Fine, but when G-Money finds out, you better not tell him I had a part in this. The man is possessive. I can tell."

"Well, G-Money doesn't own me. I can do whatever the fuck I want," I say testily. If he can be gone for weeks to god knows where, doing god knows who, so can I!

* * *

CHRISTIAN

It's damn near midnight when I finally fucking arrive back in Seattle on Tuesday night. Talk about the best laid plans.

My intentions were to fly out of Montana Sunday morning, and head home to Seattle. Elliot, EJ and Mia were going to fly with me on the jet. Mom and dad planned to stay a few more days and fly commercial on Tuesday.

At around 4 am on Sunday morning, dad calls to let us know that Grandma Treveleyan suffered a heart attack and was on her way to the emergency room. Mia and I rushed to meet everyone in the emergency room, and Elliot stayed behind with EJ. Over the next two and a half days, the three of us took turns watching EJ, so the other two can go sit vigil at the hospital during grandma's bypass surgery and her recovery.

After being told that she would recover, Elliot, EJ and myself finally flew back to Seattle, leaving Mia with our parents. Mia plans on staying a few more days before flying back with dad. Mom is staying until grandma is ready to fly home.

I throw myself on the bed, completely exhausted, and lonelier than ever before. I've gone much longer without seeing Ana than I had anticipated. I need to make her mine, and soon. If she were mine, she would have been with me in Shanghai and at this wedding, but instead I'm going on three weeks without seeing her.

This can't continue. I grab my phone and look at the two pictures of her that I have. I look at the clock and anticipate seeing her in just a few short hours. I don't know what the fuck I'm going to say to her, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

For now, I'm exhausted. I've had little sleep. I've either been at the hospital trying to comfort my mother, or back at the ranch dealing with an energetic two year old who likes to run around naked during bath time.

I let myself fall into a deep sleep and let dreams of Ana overtake me.

I'm still completely exhausted when I walk into GEH on Wednesday morning. Any other time, I'd just work from home, but not today. I need to see her. Smell her. Take her in. Make her mine.

Taylor is walking beside me as I approach the café. We're pretty early so there is only one person in line. When I arrive, I'm greeted by a Hispanic woman who looks to be in her mid fifties. Apparently, she didn't get the memo about her age, because her hair is dyed pink and her lipstick is blue.

"Hola, handsome. What can I get you?" I'm instantly annoyed. I look towards the register and I see Jose, who is ringing up another customer. I bypass pink hair lady and go to Jose.

"Where's Ana?" I ask, getting straight to the point. Is this woman her replacement? Why is she not here right now? Gail and Taylor never mentioned her quitting, and they would know since they are such close friends.

"Well, good morning to you too, handsome," he says. Since when do people think they can talk to me like this? I know I don't give a friendly vibe. I just arch my eyebrows at him and wait for him to answer me.

He clears his throat.

"She took the morning off. She'll be back around eleven or twelve." Interesting.

"Why? Where did she go?" I don't like not knowing shit. I know she's all registered for school, so she can't be on the campus. She told Gail and Gail told me.

"Look, I'm not at liberty to say. That's her personal business." Her little friend is brave. I can respect that, but I'm not in the mood today.

"I'm going to order lunch from here today. I expect Ana and only Ana to deliver it to my office. Good day," I say and walk away.

"What? No muffin today?" He yells to my retreating back. I ignore him and keep going, with Taylor walking beside me. "And we only deliver for catering orders, not just a single lunch order," he yells.

"I'm sure you'll make an exception, Mr. Rodriguez," I say without even bothering to look back at him. I'm not used to people telling me no, except for a blue eyed beauty lately.

"Taylor, do you know anything about Ana taking the morning off today? Did she mention anything to Gail?"

"Gail didn't mention it to me, boss. If she knew, she would have said something, but I'll text her now and ask." We ride the elevator in silence. My mood is somewhere between irritated and worried. I just know something is not right. After all this time away, I need to see her with my own eyes, touch her even. Make sure she's ok.

This is why I've avoided feelings all my life, but this woman walks in and breaks through all my walls with just a smile. Now I'm sitting here at my office unable to focus because I don't know where the fuck she is. This ends today.

"Boss," Taylor says as he walks into my office. "Gail has no idea. She tried calling her, but the phone went right to voicemail. I guess all we can do is wait."

"I'm not good at that. I've waited long enough." Taylor doesn't answer. He simply nods and goes back to his own office.

I sigh in frustration but decide that since I have a few hours to kill, I might as well get some work done. The time doesn't go by as quickly as I would have hoped. I spend a majority of the morning answering emails and watching the clock.

By ten o'clock, I give Andrea my lunch order and request that it be delivered by noon. Little Ms. Steele and I are going to have a chat.

Finally, the noon hour arrives. I was in the middle of a meeting in my office, so I quickly end it and kick everyone out as I wait for my lunch to arrive.

By 12:15, my lunch still has not arrived, and I'm irritated. I wait another five minutes before I make my way downstairs. Now, I know something is wrong.

The line at the café is long, and Jose and pink hair are too busy to even notice me. I walk right into the café and into their kitchen. I'm relieved when I see Ana there. Her back is to me, but I know instantly that something is off.

I study her as she makes sandwiches. Her hair is in the usual ponytail but it looks disheveled from the back.

She reaches for something and drops it.

"Fuck!" I hear her say. Before she can pick it up, her phone rings. She takes off her plastic gloves, removes the phone from her pocket and looks at the name on the caller ID. She silences the phone and puts it back in her pocket. A few seconds later, it rings again. And again, she silences it. And again, is starts to ring.

"God damn it!" I hear her yell. To my surprise, she takes the phone and throws it against the wall. The phone falls to the ground but continues to ring. She walks over and stomps on the phone several times until it goes silent.

She finally turns around and sees me standing there. Her red, puffy eyes tells me she's been crying for the better part of the morning. Her hair is a mess. Her cheeks are red and blotchy. Even her cute little nose is red.

When she sees me, she quickly turns around and goes back making the sandwiches.

"I'm sorry your lunch is late. I'm making it now. You're not supposed to be back here," she says.

"It's my building. I can be where ever the fuck I want." I didn't mean to sound like an asshole, but I don't like the fact that she tried to get rid of me. I walk up to her back and put my hands on her shoulders, spinning her around to look at me.

"What's wrong?" I ask her. I take the time to look over her body. She's not physically hurt, so at least I won't have to kick anybody's ass today for putting a hand on her.

"Nothing," she says but her voice shakes, and her eyes fill with tears. She quickly wipes them and tries to turn away from me, but I don't let her.

"Talk to me," I say gently.

She opens her mouth to speak, but to our shock, her phone lets out a single ring. That's when the dam breaks and, she begins to sob. I pull her to me. She lays her head on my chest and lets out a gut wrenching sob. She cries so hard her body starts to shake.

"Did somebody hurt you? Did someone lay a finger on you?" I ask. She doesn't appear to be hurt, but I have to know. She shakes her head and hiccups a no, but she cries harder. I walk her out of the café, into the side stairwell and into the garage where we take my private elevator to my office. The entire time, I have my arm around her, shielding her from view.

Thankfully, Andrea already left for lunch and we are able to walk into my office without prying eyes.

We sit on the couch, and I pull her close as she continues to cry. I do nothing but rub soothing circles on her back while telling her everything will be ok. I stroke her hair, kiss her forehead while she lets it out.

I don't know how much time passes, but she finally quiets and her breathing evens out. Her eyes are cast down, but I can see her blinking. I take her chin and force her to meet my gaze.

Her eyes are red, her lips swollen, but she's never looked more beautiful to me. I lean down and gently touch her lips with mine. When she doesn't move away, I do it again. She reaches up and runs her hand through my hair, and I close my eyes as I bask in her touch. This time, she initiates the kiss as she tilts her face up towards mine. I meet her halfway and our lips touch again. This time, our lips remain locked. I can taste her salty tears as my lips search hers. She tentatively opens her mouth and I quickly enter with my tongue. It feels like years since I last kissed her. I tell myself that I'll never go this long without kissing her again.

I pull her closer to me, putting her body against mine. I take her hair down, and run my fingers through it, trying to touch as much of her as I can. We never break the kiss. In fact, the kiss deepens. It gets hungrier, deeper, more passionate.

I lay on the couch and pull her on top of me as I continue to devour her with my mouth. I hear a soft moan come from the back of her throat.

"Boss, I had Gail call again but the – "Taylor stops when he sees what he's walked in on. We end the kiss and look at him as he stands by the door, like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Excuse me," is all he says before walking out of my office.

That interruption was all Ana needed to jump off me. I quickly stand because I'm not just going to let her leave my office. After we both get on our feet, I see her look down at me. I look down as well and notice my erection. I turn around, and I quickly adjust myself before turning back to face her.

"I gotta get back to work. I'm sorry about this," she says as she turns towards the door. I quickly grab her arm and hold her in place.

"I'm not sorry at all. Please, don't leave. What's gotten you so upset?" I ask her. I see her eyes fill with tears again. I lead her back to the couch and I go grab her a bottle of water.

She takes it and drinks it all.

"I don't want to bore you with my problems, Mr. Grey. Besides, I need to go help Jose and Rosie with the lunch rush." She tries to get up again, but I hold her in place.

"You cried on my shoulder. I think I deserve an explanation. Maybe I can help. Talk to me, please."

"You can't help with this," she says to me. I seriously doubt that.

"Ok. I can just listen. It's good to let these things out."

She sighs and rubs her hands over her face. I fully expect her to shut me down, but she doesn't. She starts to speak.

"Today is the one year anniversary of my mother's death." Shit. I knew her mother had passed away, but I didn't know today was the anniversary.

"I'm so sorry, Ana."

"Thank you, but there's more. We hadn't talked in years. She divorced my step dad when I was a teenager. The marriage was never good. They both had affairs, but I guess my mom fell in love with someone, divorced dad and married this asshole. I refused to go with her when she moved to Nevada to be with him. I chose to stay with dad instead. I was sixteen when this happened, and she couldn't force me to go. For the next five years, she was mostly absent from my life. She'd call about once a week, but that was it. She promised she'd come to my high school graduation, but she showed up the day after the graduation. She brought her husband to the barbeque dad threw for me, got drunk and made a scene. Called dad names and called me a traitor for staying with him when he wasn't my biological parent. I was so upset and embarrassed. I didn't tell her off that day because she was drunk, but I was so angry. The anger just got worse over night. I went to her hotel the next day and told her off. I told her she was a horrible parent, an embarrassment and for as long as I lived, I never wanted to see or talk to her again. Her husband got in my face and told me I was being disrespectful, and I should apologize, but I told him to fuck off. Carla, my mom, said some horrible things to me that morning. Things I don't want to repeat right now, but she quickly tried to apologize and say she didn't mean them, but I wouldn't hear it. I walked out of that hotel room vowing to never talk to her again." Her voice catches in the end. She reaches for me so I can comfort her, and I do. I pull her as close to me as possible and put my arm around her. She lays her head on my shoulder and continues to speak.

"I'm sorry you went through that, baby. I'm so sorry."

"She tried to call me, but I wouldn't take her calls. I blocked her number. She showed up at my dad's house the next day, but I told her to leave or I would call the police. She cried and begged for me to give her a chance to explain, but I wouldn't. She eventually divorced her husband. I guess she got a house in the divorce, and she moved to Seattle. I still wouldn't speak to her."

"I can understand why. You were hurt. You needed time." Now my mind is wondering what the hell else Carla said to her, but this is not the time to try and open that door.

Her eyes fill with tears again, and she starts to sob.

"We ran out of time, and it's all my fault. I'm the reason why she's dead," she says as she starts to cry uncontrollably again.

"I seriously doubt that, Ana."

"It's true," she looks up at me again and wipes her eyes. "She was in a car accident. A drunk driver went through a stop sign, hitting her car and killing her instantly."

"Were you the drunk driver?"

"No, of course not," she says to me.

"Exactly. The drunk driver is responsible, not you."

"Well, he died too, but she called me earlier that day. She called from an unknown number. I answered, and she begged me to come to her house for dinner that night so we could talk, but I told her no. If I had gone to her, she would have been home. She wouldn't have been anywhere near that drunken asshole."

"You don't know that. You can never know that and blaming yourself will hurt no one but you."

"I can't help but feel guilty. She's gone now, and we can never make things right. I cut her out of my life for four years, only for her to die in an accident. Had I just gone to her that night, she might still be here. And you want to know the worst part? She left me the damn house. I've avoided moving in there for almost a year, but I can't put it off any longer. My uncle keeps calling me, telling me what an awful daughter I've been to my mom and how I don't deserve the house. He agrees that I'm responsible for her death. He said she died with a broke heart all because of me. The thing is, I don't even want the house, but I feel so guilty about causing her death, that I feel I have to take the house to honor her memory."

"Listen to me, you did not cause your mother's death. Do you hear me? You did not get behind the wheel of a car drunk. That's not on you. Your uncle is a jerk for putting the actions of a drunk driver on you. Your mom made some mistakes with you, and you're human so you reacted. You were trying to protect yourself from more hurt. I know how you feel. No one can hurt us as much as a parent can. Whatever happened between you and your mom, I don't think she would want you to hold on to this guilt. You have to forgive yourself, Ana."

"I don't know if I can," she says as she cries silently into my chest.

"You don't have to do it today. Today is the anniversary of a terrible day. You're going to feel shitty today no matter what. You're allowed to feel shitty today, but tomorrow things will look clearer. Ok?"

She nods into my chest.

"You promise?" She asks quietly, so quietly that I barely even heard her. I look at her and she's looking at me with those big, blue eyes. I see the uncertainty in her eyes, eyes that are looking to me for reassurances.

"I promise." I tell her. I'd promise anything right now to get her to feel better.

She stands up suddenly, breaking our gaze. I stand up too, not ready for her to leave.

"I, uh, I should get going," she says, looking towards the door.

"No, don't." I grab her hand. "Come home with me."

"What?"

"Have you had lunch?"

"No, not yet."

"Ok. Come home with me and let's have lunch. That way, you won't be alone." She looks at me and a look of disappointment crosses her face.

"Oh, you mean to be with Gail? You want me to go to your house so Gail can keep me company?"

"No. You misunderstand. I want you to come home with me to me with _me,_ not Gail. Me." I say to her.

"Oh, I don't know." She takes her bottom lip and bites it.

"We can eat, then we can go in the hot tub. We can talk some more if you want. Whatever you want, but I would never pawn you off on Gail or anyone else." I run my hand across her knuckles and I see her blush. She also gets goosebumps on her arms.

She lifts her hand up, as if to lay it on my chest, but I quickly catch it and intertwine my fingers with hers.

"Okay," she says quietly, while looking anywhere but at me.

"Okay?" I ask just to make sure I heard right. She puts that bottom lip between her teeth and nods.

"Yes, but I have to let Jose know."

"I'll take care of that," I tell her quickly. I take her hand and lead her out of my office, not even bothering to grab my briefcase. We walk to Taylor's office and tell him that I'm ready to go home. He sees us standing there holding hands, and he simply nods as he stands up.

Ana quickly excuses herself to go to the bathroom, and Taylor nudges me with his shoulder.

"Way to go, boss," he says stoically. I quickly instruct him to get Ana a new iPhone and let him know that we'll need to handle Ana's uncle in the near future. All I get is a nod.

As soon as Ana gets back, I take her hand and follow Taylor to the garage, determined to make today better for her.

 **A/N – A little on the heavy side, but they finally had a moment. Are Ana's defenses finally down? Will she finally let him in, literally and figuratively? We'll find out soon, but I the meantime, let me know your thoughts on this chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7

ALL CREDIT ELJ. I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS

CHAPTER 7

ANA

What am I doing going home with this man? Why did I just unload on him like that? Does he just feel sorry for me? Am I doing the right thing? I guess it's too late to turn back now.

Taylor pulls the car into the driveway, but he doesn't go into the eight-car garage. Instead, he opens the door on my side. Christian held my hand the entire ride here, but we didn't speak. He rubbed soothing circles over my knuckles and kissed my forehead many times. I completely let myself go and lay my head on his shoulder the entire drive here.

He follows me outside of the car, and takes my hand again, intertwining our fingers as he leads me into the house. Gail opens the door for us, hugging me tightly, forcing our hands to break free from each other.

She pulls back and looks at my face, before pulling me to her and hugging me again. We follow her into the kitchen, as Christian takes my hand in his again.

"Ana! I'm so glad to see you, sweetie. I hope you're hungry, and I hope you like salmon. I also have some buffalo chicken wraps with avocado if you prefer. Let me get you something to drink," Gail says without taking a breath. She grabs a bottle of water for Mr. Grey and she pours me some lemonade, knowing it's my favorite.

"Thanks, Gail. The buffalo chicken wraps sound good," I tell her.

"For me too, Gail," he says.

He escorts me to this huge table in the kitchen as we wait for Gail to serve us lunch. It's quite unnerving. I'm not used to being served, especially not by someone I consider a friend.

Gail quickly serves each of us with the wraps and a side of pasta salad. Before I can even say thank you, she leaves telling us she's going to take advantage of Taylor being home and have lunch with him.

I sit there in stunned silence as I watch him reach for his wrap. A piece of hair falls on his forehead and he pushes it back. I bite my lip wishing that I could walk around the table, sit on his lap and brush his hair off his forehead with my own hand.

Before he takes a bite, he looks up and catches me looking at him. I quickly look away, and gaze about the beautiful room.

"Eat," he orders.

"Bossy," I say as I finally reach for my food. I was too anxious to eat breakfast this morning, and now I can feel my stomach growling.

"Attentive," he says right before he takes a huge bit out of his sandwich.

We eat in silence for several minutes. After eating about half of my wrap and all of my pasta salad, I become full and push my plate away.

"Done?" He asks.

I simply nod, not knowing what to say. He's been so kind this afternoon, and I'm embarrassed by my outburst, but I don't regret for a second being comforted by him. Being in his arms and having him soothe me is something I'll never forget. Even I can admit it was nice having someone to tell your troubles to without judgment.

"Yes, thank you. Everything was delicious." I suddenly stand up and grab my purse. I don't even remember how my purse got here because I left it in the kitchen at the café. I throw the strap over my shoulder, determined not to inconvenience him any further.

"I, uh, I should get going now." The words rush out of my mouth. "Thank you for listening, but I probably shouldn't have dumped my problems on you. I'm sure you have better things to do than to deal with me."

I walk out of the kitchen as quickly as possible, looking for the front door.

"Wait," he says as he runs after me. He catches up with me in two steps and grabs my arm. "Where do you think you're going, hmm?" He has a small smile on his lips as he puts a piece of stray hair behind my ear.

"Home," I say.

"And how are you going to get there?"

"Uber?"

"Uh uh. You are going into the hot tub, remember? You've had a terrible morning, and I'm going to make it all better."

"You are?"

"I am. Don't look so scared. Remember I told you that I don't bite?"

Despite my shitty day, I smile.

"And remember I told you that that's not what I heard?" I challenge. I cross my arms and arch my eyebrows waiting for him to speak.

"You're right. I definitely bite, but only when asked. With you, though, you're going to have to do more than just ask. I'm going to make you beg." He wins. I have no comeback for that.

"I don't think so. I don't beg, Grey," I say back to him.

"We'll see about that. Now, come here." He takes my hand and pulls me towards him, away from the front door.

"We, uh, we should clean up our mess," I say to him as I walk back to the kitchen table. I pick up our dirty dishes and walk back towards the sink. I stand there for a minute just admiring his kitchen. It's by far the most spectacular kitchen I've ever seen. I imagine what it would be like to cook here. To make this a home with someone, then I shake my head. I don't even need to go there. It will never be me here. I just don't belong in someplace like this.

I start to rinse the dishes and notice he's just standing there with his arms crossed looking at me.

"Don't tell me you don't know how to do dishes?" I tease.

"I might have done a dish once. Maybe." He rubs his chin as if deep in thought. "But then, I employ people to do that for me."

"Well, I don't. I'm not going to leave a mess for my friend to clean up. You kinda look uncomfortable standing in your own kitchen, Grey." I quickly rinse the dishes and load them in the dishwasher. As soon as I'm done, he takes my hand and leads me away.

He comes over and stands next to me as I wash the dishes. He leans on the counter, in an attempt to look comfortable.

"I'm totally at home in the kitchen."

"Really? You cook?" I ask him. He doesn't strike me as the type who cooks, but maybe I'm wrong. He has so many people to do stuff for him.

"Oh, yeah. In fact, breakfast is my specialty." I look at him in an attempt to figure out if he's serious or not.

"Really?"

"Really. What's your favorite thing to have for breakfast?"

"French toast, scrambled eggs and bacon. Oh, and some fruit. And coffee or tea, depending on my mood. If it's raining, then definitely tea," I answer quickly. Maybe I'll make that for me and Jose this weekend.

"Well, I'll have to make that for you one day," he says.

My heart skips a beat. I blush at the implication and busy myself by washing and drying my hands.

"Someone's being presumptuous again," I say to him.

"Optimistic. Come on. That's enough of that. I'm just going to ignore the fact that you just called me a bad friend because Gail cleans up after me." I let out a small laugh.

"The way Gail and Taylor go on and on about their wonderful boss? You're like the best thing since sliced bread when it comes to those two."

"You're right. I am pretty awesome." I roll my eyes at him. He holds on to my hand with a vice grip as he leads me towards the indoor pool and hot tub. He takes me to the same room that Gail took me to the last time. The room with the bathing suits.

"I'm going to go change, and I'll meet you at the hot tub. Take any of these bathing suits." He leaves before I can respond. I look around and there are several brand new bathing suits in my size. Does he just leave small bathing suits here all the time? I don't get it. I find a pale pink two piece and decide to try it on. I'd normally pick something more on the conservative side, but I want to feel sexy.

Feeling emboldened, I put on the bikini and check myself out in the mirror. I think I look good. I'm small, but Jose always tells me that I have killer curves. I quickly put my hair up in a high, messy bun and start to head out to the hot tub.

My plan was to get there before him and already be sitting there by the time he arrived, but he beat me to it. I almost miss a step when I see him standing there in the same swim trunks he wore the last time I was here. Is it possible that his abs got even more chiseled since the last time I saw him? I subconsciously lick my lips. He notices because he gives me a smug smile.

He waves for me to get into the hot tub before him. As I get closer to him, I can see how his eyes roam my entire body. I can hear my heart beating out of my chest as I walk past him and climb in. He follows me and instead of sitting across from me like he did the last time, he sits right next to me. I throat goes dry, and the butterflies take over my stomach.

We sit in silence for several minutes, until Gail walks in with a fruit platter, water and champagne. Why on earth did she bring champagne? She wheels it over on a cart and puts it in front of us in the hot tub. She pops the cork on the champagne, pours each of us a glass.

"Thank you, Gail." I feel uneasy with her serving me.

"You're welcome. Enjoy." She gives us a wink before walking out of the room.

As soon as Gail walks out, the lights dim and soft music starts to play. I feel the hot tub vibrating, and the seat I'm sitting in is lowered. Suddenly, my back is to his chest, and he's sitting above me.

"What's happening here?" I ask.

"What's happening is that you're about to relax." He hands me a glass of champagne. He doesn't take one for himself. Rather, he starts to massage my shoulders. His strong hands kneed the muscles of my neck an upper back. I lean into his touch as he rubs away all of the sadness and anxiety that I've experienced today.

His hands graze the side of my neck before I feel his mouth giving me gentle kisses on the side of my neck and on my shoulders.

I let out a soft whimper.

I imagined how this day would turn out about a hundred times in the last week. I knew I was going to the gravesite to bring flowers. I knew it would be an emotional day.

I sat there for a few hours just crying and reliving all of the things I would do differently if I could. After rejecting several calls from my uncle Simon, I headed back to work. All throughout the drive, the calls continued, causing me to crack. As much as Jose and Ray have told me that Carla's death was not on me, uncle Simon has always blamed me. Telling me I was selfish and cruel to Carla until she died tragically. He said I should be ashamed of myself for taking her house, and that I'm probably happy that she's gone.

He left three voicemail messages today reiterating that. I finally lost it during that last call and destroyed the damn phone.

I imagined this day in many ways but being comforted by Christian Grey wasn't one of them. Coming to his house for lunch and sitting in his hot tub as he massages the stress away is not something that I ever could have dreamed up, but it's exactly what I need.

"That feels nice," I say. It's true. He has amazing hands. And amazing abs. And an amazing ass. And amazing eyes. And the most amazing lips. I'm sure his dick is amazing too.

I take a sip of my champagne and it's incredible. This is definitely not the drugstore stuff that I get on New Year's Eve. I finish it off and put down my glass, and I lose myself once again to his gentle hands.

He gives my neck one last kiss before ending the massage. I look at him and pout.

He pats the seat next to him, and I position my body right next to his. He throws his arm across my shoulder and pushes me to him.

I turn to look at him. As I lock eyes with him, I almost forget what I'm about to say.

"Thank you, Mr. Grey. You turned what was a horrible day into something nice."

He gives me a smile as he gazes into my eyes.

"You're welcome, but I think you can stop with the Mr. Grey now. It's Christian."

"Christian," I repeat.

"I'm glad you're feeling better. I didn't like seeing you so upset."

"You're kind of sweet, Christian Grey," I say with a smile.

"Shh. Don't tell anyone." He smiles so deep that I see his dimple. He reaches over me and grabs his champagne flute. I watch as he takes a sip. He offers me a sip from his glass and I accept.

"It will be our little secret."

"Tell you what? I remember the last time we were in here, I told you you could ask whatever you want. I'm going to give you that opportunity again. You ask, I'll answer, but now I also get to ask you a question."

Do I want to do this? I admit that my curiosity about him is piqued. There's definitely more to him that I ever imagined, and if he's giving me an opportunity to learn more about him, am I really going to pass that up?

I take the champagne from him and take a sip before giving it back. I look at his gray eyes, asking myself what the hell I'm doing.

"Deal." I say.

"Deal. Ladies first."

"Do you make Gail clean this monstrous house all by herself?"

"You're obsessed with his house," he says with an eyeroll.

"I am. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"It's not the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. You are. But to answer your question. No. Gail used to clean my old penthouse, but that place was much smaller. She's more of a house manager now, but she's in charge of cooking and she only cleans the kitchen and my bedroom. She hires a company to come out twice a week to clean."

"Well, that's a relief."

"My turn. What are you majoring in?"

I'm relieved he asked such a benign question.

"Education. I've always wanted to be a teacher, so hopefully I can find a teaching job after I graduate."

"I think you'd be really great at that," he says while looking into my eyes. I blush at the compliment.

"You're so pretty when you blush." Before I can say anything, he leans in and kisses my cheek.

"Ok. My turn again. Can I have some more champagne?" I giggle at the look of shock on his face.

"That's your question?" He asks as he reaches over me and pours each of us a glass.

"Yup. This is the best champagne I've ever had. My turn again," I say.

"No, it's my turn."

"No, it's not. You just asked me if that was my question." I stick my tongue out at him.

"Well played, Ms. Steele. Well played. Go ahead."

"Why didn't you come back to work in Monday like you were supposed to?"

"Huh. I'll take that question to mean that you missed me, and you were counting the days to my return." I blush.

"I admit nothing," I say quickly.

"But the reason is because I had to fly to Montana for my cousin's wedding, and while I was there, my grandmother had a heart attack and needed surgery."

"Oh my goodness. I'm so sorry. I hope she's going to be okay." Now I feel so selfish. He's spent all day taking care of me when he has his own family issues to deal with.

"She's going to be fine. She'll be able to fly home in a few days.'

I breathe a sigh of relief at the fact that his grandmother will be fine. I'm also relieved that he stayed away because of his family, and not because he offered someone woman a contract.

Before he asks his next question, he takes my hand and intertwines our fingers.

"Did you think about me at all while I was away?"

"Yes," I answer quickly before I change the subject. "What do you like to do for fun?" I ask. I don't miss the smile he gave me after I answered his question.

"Well, I've always been a private person, but I enjoy spending time with my family, especially my brother and nephew. I like fishing, sailing or flying." His hobbies sound expensive. "Same question. What do you like to do for fun?"

"Dancing. I love, love to dance. Jose and I will go dancing about twice a month. Our favorite is 90's hip hop at a club downtown."

"That sounds fun. I remember what a good dancer you are from last time." I finish my champagne and decide not to have anymore. I need to keep my head straight around him. I reach over and take a strawberry and take a bite. I hear him moan. The champagne gave me some liquid courage because I offer him a bite of my strawberry. His eyes lock with mine has he slowly bites into it.

"Mhmmm. Delicious, but I bet you taste better." I can feel the blush creeping in as I imagine his head between my legs.

"My turn for a question. How come you've never had a girlfriend?"

"Now, we're getting to the good stuff. How do you know I've never had a girlfriend?" He asks, arching his eyebrows at me.

"Uh, the women-"

"Well, they're wrong. I had a girlfriend during my freshman year in college. It didn't last long."

"Why not?"

"Uh uh. It's my turn. Have _you_ ever had a boyfriend?"

"Nope. My turn. Why didn't things work out with your girlfriend from college?" This is new information. Those women said he didn't do the girlfriend commitment thing.

"Well, she wanted to touch me." Now, I'm confused.

"Isn't it normal to want to touch your boyfriend?"

"It's my turn, Ms. Steele. Why haven't someone as beautiful as you ever had a boyfriend? Not only are you beautiful, but you're smart and kind. You're the total package."

"I don't have a straight answer. My parents' marriage was always rocky. I didn't have a good foundation on what a good relationship looked like. They divorced when I was a teenager and it was bitter. All of my friends' parents, with the exception of Jose, were divorced. I didn't want to deal with all that drama. I associated relationships with struggle and heartache, and I didn't want that for myself." I've never said those words out loud before. I've only recently come to realize why I've never pursued any type of relationship with a man.

"I hope you don't feel that way anymore." I think he sounds kind of hopeful with that last statement.

"No. I'm ready for a relationship now. I can't let other people's relationships define my future," I say with conviction. "My turn again. Why couldn't your girlfriend touch you?"

"I have issues with touch. I was burned as a kid, before the Greys adopted me, and I haven't been able to let anyone touch me ever since. The girl I was with couldn't handle that, so we ended it. I discovered BDSM soon after and decided that the girlfriend thing wouldn't be a reality for someone with my issues." Wow. I don't know what to say to that.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize."

"It's not public information. So, what are you looking for in a boyfriend?"

"Someone I can trust. Someone who shares some of my interests. Hopefully he'll like to dance. I haven't traveled much, so I would like someone that I can go places with. And he's got to be cute. Cute is very important." I reach over and grab some green grapes. I eat one and offer him one. He eats it from my fingers, making a point to lick my thumb and index finger. My nipples hardened immediately.

"Your question, Ms. Steele," he says after several seconds pass.

I clear my throat.

"Um, so you still can't be touched? My body is touching yours now."

"Oh, I know. Trust me. I'm well aware of where your body is at all times. I can't take anyone's hands on my chest, shoulders or upper back."

"Ok. I'll make note of that," I tell him now that I know he has issues.

"My turn. Can I kiss you?" He asks.

I can feel the blush creeping up my body.

"Yes." I barely get the word out before he his mouth devours mine. I can taste the champagne and strawberries on him. He grabs the back of my head, pulling me closer as we continue to devour each other. I make a mental note not to touch his no zones as the kiss continues to intensify. My moan gets swallowed up by his mouth.

He lifts me and sits me on his lap without even breaking the kiss. I put my hands in his hair, stroking his scalp. I even give his ginger locks a little tug, only to hear him moan into my mouth.

His hands grab my face as the kiss continues. My nipples are so hard, I feel they might fall off. I can feel the moisture between my legs, and it has nothing to do with sitting in a tub full of water. I can feel him too as I sit on his lap. I can feel how much he wants me. I grind on his lap, and I'm rewarded with a loud groan.

We finally break the kiss, but I remain on his lap, with my forehead on his. He gives me a few pecks on the lips before he playfully bites my bottom lip.

"You're so sexy," he says against my lips.

"So are you," I say back to him.

"Will it be a problem for you? Not being able to touch me? Please say it won't." I can practically hear his heart beating. He's breathing so hard as I continue to sit on his lap in the hot tub.

"For me? Why would it be?" I ask him.

"I've made no secret that I want to be with you, Ana."

I slide off his lap so that I can look into his eyes.

"Be with me how? You don't do girlfriends, you only do arrangements and I want more than that."

He takes my hand and kisses it.

"Look, forget about everything you think you know about me. I'm not offering you a contract or anything like that. I want to be with you. You're looking for a boyfriend, and I want to be that to you. You don't have to answer now, but I want you to know that's what I want. Ok?"

"You certainly are direct."

"I am. I don't mince words. You don't have to give me an answer right now. I know you have a lot going on today already, but I want to make my intentions clear."

"Ok. I'm direct too. I do like you, but I just don't know if I would be enough for you. You might be bored with me."

"That is will never, ever happen. I know why you're saying this, and I asked you to forget what you think you know. Get to know me. _Me_. Christian Grey, the man, not the myth."

"I can do that."

"Good."

"Ok. My turn to ask a question. Can you give me a tour of this house?"

"I can never say no to you. Let's get out of this tub before we turn into prunes." He steps out of the hot tub first and holds his hand out to me. "Let's shower and change, and then I'll give you the tour."

He leads me to the bathroom, gives me a chaste kiss on the lips.

"I'll meet you in the kitchen in twenty minutes," he says before he leaves.

When I get inside the bathroom, my work uniform is gone, and in its place is a new set of clothes that just happens to be brand new and my size. Complete with a pair of ballet flats.

The clothes are simple. A pair of skinny jeans and a black top, but they're expensive. The price tags are gone, but even I know these brands.

How on earth did he get me clothes so quickly?

I shower quickly and change. I grab my purse and put on some mascara after pinching my cheeks to give me some color. I make my way to the kitchen to find him standing there waiting for me. He's wearing another pair of cargo shorts and another polo shirt.

"Ready for the tour, Ms. Steele?" I nod as he takes my hand.

* * *

"Oh my god! This house is incredible. It's better than anything I've ever seen on MTV Cribs. Like seriously! You have a movie theatre in your house! And a ballroom. A ballroom! This is better than the house on Downton Abby. Jose is going to die when I tell him. Do you think you can give him a tour someday? He needs to see this with his own eyes."

It took us about an hour to tour the entire house. There are ten bedrooms, twelve bathrooms, a movie theatre, a game room and every modern convenience one can think of.

"You know you can fit my dad's entire house in one of your guest bedrooms. This place is just out of this world."

"So, you like it?" He asks with a playful shrug.

"Like it? I LOVE it. I seriously love it."

"I'm relieved to hear that. If you didn't, I'd have to sell it and find something you'd like." He sounds serious, but I know he's just kidding because who would do that?

"Very funny," I say to him. I look at my watch and see that it's after six o'clock. "I should probably get going now. I've taken up enough of your time."

He pins me against the island in the kitchen and puts both arms around me, boxing me in.

"Nope. You are staying with me tonight. We're going to have dinner, and then we're going to watch a movie. I'll drop you off to work in the morning. And before you start making up excuses as to why you can't stay, I already called Jose and told him you're with me and you won't be in until seven tomorrow. He's fine with it, so you can relax." Once he finishes telling me our plans, he nuzzles the side of my neck and I just melt into him. I almost wrap my arms around his shoulders, but then I remembered his touch issues, so I just gently stroked his hair.

"Forward," I say to him.

"Dauntless," he says without missing a beat.

"What's for dinner?" I ask, excited about our plans for tonight.

"Let's go find out," he says to me as he takes my hand and leads me towards the patio. He leads me to a beautifully set table. He pulls out my chair for me before taking the seat across from me. I uncover the cloche to find my favorite dinner.

"How did you know? There's no way that you could have known that this is my favorite dinner," I say to him as I inhale the baked chicken, rice pilaf and mixed vegetables. "Gail! Gail and I talked about our favorite foods weeks ago. I can't believe she remembered."

I suddenly become overcome with emotion and my eyes start to water. I wipe them away, but my eyes fill with tears again and I start to cy silently on the table. Christian leaves his chair and kneels next to me.

"Hey. Don't cry," he says as he kisses my temple over and over again.

"Good tears, "I say tearfully. "This started out as one of the worst days of my life, but you managed to make it into such a good day. And then Gail makes my favorite meal. You guys didn't have to do any of this. I'm not your problem and I'm so accustomed to being on my own. I'm just overcome."

He lifts me from the chair and places me on his lap. He puts his head on the side of my neck and wraps his strong arms around my waist.

"I know neither one of us has done this relationship thing before, but I'm pretty sure that this is how it works. I want to be there for you, Ana. If you have a problem, I'll be there. Let me."

"It's been nice having you to lean on today, Christian." He kisses my neck one last time before returning to his own seat.

"Let's eat. You have a movie to pick out," he says.

We eat the delicious meal in silence, but throughout, we steal glances at each other. Each time he'd catch me looking, I'd blush and he'd wink.

When dinner is finished, I pass on dessert and he leads me to his bedroom. To my surprise, he has brand new pajamas laid out for me. We both change and he takes me to what he calls his media room, but what I call a home movie theatre. He pretends to be annoyed when I pick out the movie Bridesmaids, but I'm in the mood for something light and fun, so we settle in and watch.

When I wake up however many hours later, I'm laying in the most comfortable bed I've ever laid in and strong arms are wrapped around me like a vine. It takes me a minute to realize that I'm fast asleep in Christian Grey's bed. Not only that, but I'm wrapped in his arms.

He's snoring lightly behind me. I let out a soft sigh. Can I do this? Can I be involved with someone like Christian Grey or am I setting myself up for heartache and disappointment.

I hear him moan as he pulls me even closer to him. I forget my insecurities as I snuggle into his body and let sleep overtake me.

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed chapter 7. With all of the heartache in the last chapter, I wanted to offset that with something lighter. Well, CG has certainly made his move. I can't wait for this relationship to develop. And does anyone believe that Christian Grey knows how to cook? Until Laters.**


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

ALL CHARACTERS BELONG TO ELJ

CHRISTIAN

After receiving a text from Gail, I reluctantly extricate myself from Ana's warm body. I look at her and she's sleeping soundly. Just to be sure, I nudge her shoulder and she doesn't so much as budge. Thank goodness, otherwise she would have felt my hard as a rock dick that was resting between her ass cheeks. I quietly tiptoe out of the room and make my way to the kitchen where I find Gail and Taylor.

"Good morning, boss," Taylor says with a smug smile on his face. I know why he's here with Gail, and I choose to ignore his ass. He takes a sip of his coffee and smiles over the rim of the mug.

"You couldn't leave him at home, Gail?" I say as I walk over to her.

"I wouldn't miss this for the world, boss," the smug bastard says.

"Boss, why don't you let me cook the breakfast and you can carry it up to Ana?" Gail says to me.

"Well, I kind of told her that cooking breakfast was my specialty, so I have to do something."

I hear Taylor do something between a snort and a laugh.

"Boss, do you even know how to turn on the oven?" Taylor asks. The answer to that is, I don't. We always had a cook at home, or mom would cook for us when she was off. Grandma would cook as well, so I've never had to learn. Elliot and Mia had an interest, but not me. When I went off to Harvard, I had a meal plan and a credit card with no limits, so cooking was never even on my radar.

"Don't make me fire you this early in the morning, Taylor. I'd hate for you to start married life at the unemployment office," I say to him.

"I guess that's a no to my question, Gail." He starts to laugh again, and I give him a dirty look that only causes him to laugh harder.

"Ok, boss. So, you said she wants French toast, scrambled eggs, fruit and tea?" Gail asks.

"Tea only on rainy days, so coffee today."

"We're short for time, so I'll make the French toast. Can you scramble some eggs?" Gail asks.

"Gail, he doesn't even know how to turn on the oven. I'll bet my next paycheck he doesn't know how to scramble an egg," Taylor says.

"He's not wrong," I confess.

"Fine. Let me do the cooking. There's a new fruit platter in the fridge. Why don't you grab a bowl and fill it for Ana? That will be your contribution to making this breakfast."

Since we have to work quickly, I simply nod and go to find a bowl.

"Where are the bowls?" I ask while scratching my head, and Taylor's laughter fills the kitchen.

"Go ahead and start cooking, Gail. I'll help him find the bowls," Taylor says, finally making himself useful and helping me out.

Twenty minutes later, Gail has prepared two trays containing French toast, eggs, fruit and coffee. She stacks our plates on two trays, so I can carry them upstairs easily.

"Go, boss, before she comes down here looking for you. Taylor and I will clean up," Gail says.

"Why do I have to clean up? I already found the bowls for him in his own kitchen." Taylor asks.

"Get your ass over here, Jason Taylor," Gail orders. I watch as Jason gets up and silently starts to clean up. I give him a smug look before picking up the tray.

"I can't wait until Ana starts bossing the boss around," I hear Taylor say behind me.

Yeah, right

I'm the dominant around here.

I quickly make my way upstairs and to my bedroom. I had left the door cracked open, so I just push it in only to find the bed empty. I look around and find the little snoop nosing around in my closet.

"Do you want to borrow one of my suits?" I ask her. She jumps at the sound of my voice. She turns to face me, and I see a blush creep up her neck and face. Busted.

"Uh, I was just looking for you." Such a little liar.

"I promise you, I never hide in the closet. Come on. I have breakfast." I nudge my head towards the bed. She follows me and climbs back into the giant bed. She props herself on a mountain of pillows.

"You didn't have to make me breakfast, but I'm glad you did. I'm famished."

I prop her tray in front of her, and I walk around to my side of the bed. I've never had a woman in this bed before, so it's odd to think that I have a side. I get in and grab my own tray.

"Oh my God! You made this? It looks and smells incredible!" She leans in and takes an exaggerated inhale of the food before cutting into the French toast and taking her first bite.

"Mhhhmmm," she moans, causing my dick to harden. She licks some syrup off the side of her lips and I can do nothing but watch her. I totally forget about my own food.

"This is incredible. The best French toast I've ever had," she says as she continues to eat. I take a bite and I have to agree that it's delicious. I typically don't eat processed carbs like this, so this is a rare treat and a nice break from my regular omelets.

"I'm glad you like it," I say as I watch her take another bite, followed by a sip of her coffee. Thankfully, Gail knew how she liked her coffee.

"How did you know how I like my coffee?" She asks as she next digs into the fruit. At least I can take credit for putting that in the bowl.

"Just a lucky guess."

"This is so good. You actually made this?"

"I brought it to you, didn't I?" I ask carefully. I have to make sure I don't lie outright. To distract her from asking any more questions, I put a piece of strawberry in her mouth. That does the trick because she stops asking questions.

We eat quickly, and I usher her into the shower. Since she has to be in by seven, I shower in one of the guest bathrooms. I'm back in my closet getting dressed when she comes out of the bathroom dressed in her black and white uniform.

She has her hair in a ponytail and her face is free of makeup. She looks so beautiful that I can't move for several seconds. I watch as she bends down to put on her shoes, giving me a nice view of her ass. What I wouldn't give to be able to put my hands on her ass right now. Soon, Grey. Patience.

She walks over to me as I tie my tie. She gets on her tippy toes and gives me a chaste kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you for everything. You made a horrible day into one of the most memorable days of my life. And memorable in a good way. You didn't have to do any of this for me, but you spent your entire day making sure I was ok. Thank you for that. I don't remember the last time anyone took care of me the way you did yesterday." She goes to kiss me on the cheek again, but I turn my face and capture her lips with mine. We stand in my closet and lose ourselves in the kiss. I pull her to me, not even bothering to hide my erection from her. I press my desire against her and feel her moan in my mouth.

She suddenly breaks the kiss.

"We've got to go," she says shyly.

I grab her chin and lean down and kiss her again.

"Ok, but before we do, I have something for you." I go to my nightstand and pull out the new iPhone I had Taylor pick up for her. "This is to replace the one who had that unfortunate accident with the wall."

"Oh, wow. Thank you, cut I can't accept this. I can't afford to pay you back."

"It's a gift. You need a new phone, so it's yours." I hand it to her, but she refuses to accept it.

"Take the phone. I'm not taking it back because I got it for you. You need it. How else am I going to be able to contact you? You better get ready, girl," I say to her as I hand her the phone and finish tying my tie.

"Ready for what?"

"For hurricane Christian, of course," I say rather arrogantly as I lead her out of the bedroom.

"Imperious," she says after me.

"Commanding," I respond.

I take Ana's hand as I escort her to the café. Taylor is right beside us trying his best to hold in his laugh as Ana talks.

* * *

"Next time Christian should make French toast for all of us, Jason. It was seriously the best I've ever had." I should feel shame for passing Gail's French toast off as mine, but I don't. I want to jump up and cheer at her saying next time.

"Yes, I think I would enjoy that very much. Maybe we can all watch him prepare it next time. You can give Gail a few pointers, boss," Taylor smirks. I give him a dirty look, but he just keeps on smiling.

"Wait here, Taylor," I say as I walk Ana behind the counter. It's still rather early so there is only one customer at the counter. Pink hair is there taking the order and Jose is at the register. He freezes when he sees us walking towards him holding hands.

Not giving a fuck who is watching, I give her a not so chaste kiss on the lips right there at the café. Everyone is stunned into silence. Of course, Ana blushes

"Come and find me when you take a break," I say as I walk away.

"Gurl, you better start talking right now," I hear Jose say.

"Not now. We're at work."

"I don't give a fuck where we are. Talk or I swear to god, I will shut down this café!" That's all I hear before I turn the corner to the elevator.

I manage to get a few hours of work in uninterrupted. I even have a call with Ros where she confirms she'll be back in the office on Monday.

I look over at my buzzing phone and decide to finally take Elliot's call. He's called about four times already today, and each time, I was too busy to answer.

"What?" I ask abruptly.

"Fuck you, too, bro. Answer the phone the first time I call your ass."

"What is it, Elliot? I've been away, and I've been playing catchup.

"I've been calling you since last night! So has dad, by the way. He and Mia will be home tonight, and he wants to have lunch with us tomorrow."

I let out an exasperated breath.

"I really don't have time to deal with this shit, Elliot. And I'm really not in the mood for another lecture from dad. Maybe he should lecture his wife instead of us." I grab a pen and toss it across the room in my irritation. Whenever Elliot or I would have a disagreement with mom, dad is always around the damn corner waiting to lecture us. It was fine when we were teenagers, but I'm an adult now, and mom is the one with the problem.

"No shit. I'm not in the mood either, but you know he'll only harass us until we agree to meet with him. Or he'll just show up at your office or mine. At least if we meet him at a restaurant during the week, we can always make the excuse of having to get back to work."

"Yeah, but aren't we too old for that shit, Elliot? What the hell is he going to lecture us about this time? I refuse to apologize for my sex life. It's no one's business. And what the fuck are you supposed to say? Mom, sorry for giving you the grandson you love so damn much. Give me a fucking break."

I grab a stress ball and start tossing it in the air.

"He says he just wants us to get back on track as a family and won't lecture us." Yeah, right. And I'm a naïve idiot.

"Bullshit, but if that's true, he needs to talk to his wife. I'm not going." I say this already knowing that Carrick Grey won't give us much of a choice. I can put him off for a few days, even a few weeks, but eventually he will just show up at the office or at home.

"Well tough shit because I'm not going alone. I was just warning you. Gotta go," he says before ending the call. I take my phone and toss it across the room, where it lands on the couch.

"Motherfucker!" I say out loud.

I hear a soft knock on the door.

"Come in," I bark.

My irritation immediately ceases when I see who it is. I feel my mouth turn from a frown to a smile as she approaches me with what looks like lunch.

I go to her and pull her to me, kissing the top of her head.

"Is this a bad time?" She asks shyly.

"Never a bad time for you."

"I brought you the lunch you didn't get to eat yesterday. You haven't eaten yet, have you?" She's biting on that damn lip as she looks around my office. I grab the bag of food from her and place it on my desk. I turn around and lean against my desk so I can watch her.

She's in the middle of the office just looking around. I watch as she touches and smells the flower arrangement on my coffee table. She runs her delicate little hands all along the furniture just like she did the first time she was in the office alone.

She looks towards the bathroom door.

"Do you want to go in and smell my cologne?"

Her eyes practically pop out of her head before she covers her face with her hands.

"How do you know?" She croaks out.

"Cameras, baby."

"Oh my goodness. I'm so embarrassed."

"Don't be. Come here." She's still blushing as she takes me hand and I pull her into my body. "I'd offer you a tour of the office, but I know you're already familiar with it. Or were you just lost?"

She let out an embarrassed laugh before she buries her face in my chest for a few seconds, before abruptly moving away from my chest and my entire body.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to touch your chest."

"It's fine as long as you don't touch me with your hands." I say that to reassure her, but I can feel the mood in the office has gone from light to awkward in the space of about five seconds. Where she was once in my arms, she's now standing just out of my reach. I move towards her and grab her chin, forcing her eyes to meet mine.

"I want you to touch me, but-", she cuts me off before I can finish.

"I understand. It's ok. You explained it to me already. You asked me if it would be an issue for me, and it won't be. I would like to be able to touch you, but if it's not possible, then I can deal with it. I don't want you to think you have to apologize for explain it to me every time, okay?"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

"Thank you," I say, feeling immense relief. I grab her and pull her into a hug. I know she's doing her best right now not to touch my no go zones as she puts her hands on my forearms.

"Is this ok?"

"It's perfect," I tell her before kissing her lips.

"I have to run. It's the lunch rush and Jose will come up here looking for me if I don't get back downstairs."

"Okay. I have to work late tonight since I've been gone for almost three weeks."

"I have to go home and start packing anyway. I've put it off long enough. And I have to let myself be interrogated by Jose," she says with an exaggerated eyeroll. "I'll come and say goodbye before I leave. Around 3:30?"

"Fuck! I'll be in a meeting with some department heads at that time. Maybe I can cancel," I say as I reach for my phone.

"Don't do that. Call me later."

"Call you?" It's been almost a damn decade since I've a woman just to chat.

"Call me. Now go eat your lunch."

"Authoritarian," I tease.

"Cheeky," she says right before kissing my cheek and turning to head towards the door. I grab her elbow and pull her to me and kissing her with everything in me.

* * *

"Mother," I say a few hours later.

"Hello, darling," she says. She sounds like my mom again, except she sounds tired. "I was wondering when I would hear from you. I hope you haven't forgotten about your grandmother."

I run my hands over my face. It's after eight o'clock and I'm still in the fucking office. I don't need a guilt trip too.

"Mother, I left only forty eight hours ago. How's grandma doing?"

"She's doing well, darling. She's been walking around and is recovering nicely. She's on schedule to be discharged on Saturday. Hopefully, we'll be home that same night."

"I told you I would have sent you the jet."

"I've charted one for medical transport. We'll have a nurse with us, dear. How's everything with you?"

"Great," I say thinking about Ana. "Everything is great."

"Really? Well, I'm glad to hear that work is going well."

"Work _is_ going well, but that's not what I'm talking about." Ana and I aren't official yet, so I'm debating on whether or not to tell mother, but I know that it's just a matter of time until we're together.

"Oh?" She clears her throat. "I hope whatever it is doesn't bring more shame upon us, Christian."

I sigh. For a second, I thought I had gotten my mother back.

"Only if my happiness is a source of shame for you, mother. Is that what you're saying?"

"I've always wanted all of my children to be happy. I can't see where your life's choices have made any of you happy, though. Your brother is raising that precious boy alone, and you're doing god knows what behind closed doors. There's still hope for Mia, I guess. Only the lord knows."

Since when was my mother religious? Never.

"There's more to any of us than what you're choosing to focus on, mom. Elliot is a great father to his son. And despite what you think, I didn't bring shame to this family. I'm not the one who caused this." I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. During this shit storm I finally went back to my shrink at the urging of Gail and Taylor, and that's one of the things I got out of it. This shit was not my fault.

"Your actions caused this. If you didn't have this fetish, this never would have happened. Yes, those women talked, but there would have been nothing to talk about if you never sought out their services."

"Their services? They're not prostitutes, but you know what? Never mind. I'm done trying to convince you. It's one thing when the entire world judges me, but it's another thing entirely when my own mother won't let shit go. This has died down. Everyone's moved on except you, mother. I'm done discussing this with you. You're the only one who feels shame." I abruptly end the call and toss my phone on my desk. If my own fucking mother can't move on, then what the fuck am I supposed to do?

Fuck it. It's her fucking problem, not mine. The world's moved on and so has every fucking person that I care about except her. I fucking know that this is another thing she's going to run to dad about. If he wasn't going to lecture me before, he is now.

The last fucking thing I need is a Carrick Grey lecture. I'm not going to stand for it this time. If he wants to lecture me, he'd better bring his A game.

I grab the phone and dial the only person I want to talk to right now. She picks up on the second ring and I hear her sweet voice.

"Hey, baby," is all I manage to say.

"Hey. What are you doing?"

"Still at work and thinking about you." Totally not cliché. She giggles at that and my heart soars.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Is that him? Put him on speaker, Ana?" I think I hear Jose say in the background. I hear them have some dialogue and then I hear footsteps and the slamming of a door.

"I'm hiding from Jose in the bathroom. Why are you at work this late?" She whispers.

"Because I've been gone and so has Ros. Plus, I have a call with China in ten minutes."

"Who's Ros?"

"My second in command. How was your evening?" I ask, not wanting to talk about Ros.

"Ok. We didn't actually get any packing done. We ate dinner and just relaxed. Am I going to see you in the morning?"

"Nothing will keep me away. I want to see you tomorrow night too."

"That sounds like a plan. You want to go dancing? I'm supposed to go with Jose and some friends?"

Not exactly what I had in mind, but maybe she'll come home with me afterwards. If we're doing to do this relationship thing, I'll probably have to get used to Jose as being part of the package.

"Only if you agree to come home with me afterwards," I say to her.

"Deal."

"Deal. Now I have to get on my call."

"Promise you'll go home afterwards?"

"I promise. I'll text you when I get home." We say our goodbyes, and I spend another hour on the phone with China before I go home.

When I get home about, I immediately text Ana letting her know that I'm home. She texts me back letting me know she'll see me tomorrow. I eat dinner in the kitchen alone, and all I can do is think about how different things were just twenty four hours ago when Ana was here with me. I'd do anything to have her here now.

* * *

I'm standing in line with Taylor at the café the next morning, willing the line to move so I can see Ana. I'm quickly responding to some emails that came in overnight when I hear giggling. Ana's giggling.

I lose all interest in my email and look to see just what the fuck is so funny.

There's some fucker in an expensive suit standing in front of her holding his cell phone in her face. There are only two people between us, so I can hear what he's saying.

"This is my clumsy attempt at making blueberry muffins. I found a recipe online but they look nothing like yours."

I hear Ana giggle again at this fool. What the fuck?

"I can't even imagine what you did wrong. Those don't look anything like muffins. Are you sure you followed the recipe?"

"I don't know what I did. Maybe you can come to my apartment one day and teach me."

I've heard enough.

"I'm about to kill that fucker, Taylor," I whisper under my breath.

Taylor doesn't say anything, but I see his jaw clench and he lets out an irritated breath.

"Not if I kill him first, boss." Taylor and Gail, my most loyal employees and friends. Maybe mother should take lessons from them.

I walk past the people standing in line in front of me and go stand in front of that fucker. I recognize his face immediately. He works for GEH. I don't know what department or who he works for, but that asshole works for me.

"I'm pretty sure I pay you to work and not flirt." He stands there stunned, not sure what to say.

I see Jose standing there looking from me to Ana to that asshole whose name don't even know. He crosses his arms across his chest, waiting for the action to start.

"Uh, Mr. Grey," he begins. I ignore him, reach for Ana's hand and gently pull her towards me. I lean across the counter and give her a not so chaste kiss on the lips. I hear hushed whispering in the line behind me, but I don't care. I continue to kiss her right there, sending a message to any other asshole who thinks they can try and take what's mine.

"Oh, shit!" I hear Jose explain. "I told your ass he was possessive."

I end the kiss and Ana is completely red and flushed in the face.

The asshole is stunned speechless and just walks away without ordering anything.

"I'll have my usual," I say smugly. Soon, I'm handed some type of muffin and a large black coffee.

"He was just being friendly," she says.

"He's going to be one friendly unemployed fool if he flirts with you again." I trace my finger on the side of her face. "Come find me when you get a break." I lift her hand and kiss it before I walk away.

"I told your ass, Ana!" I hear Jose say.

"Oh, shut up, Jose!"

* * *

I'm irritated for the rest of the morning. That asshole flirting with my woman just put me on edge. That fucking job of hers puts her on display for every straight male in this building, and everyone else who wanders in for coffee.

I don't like it one bit, but pretty soon she'll have her own CPO standing watching. She'll officially be mine soon. Patience, Grey. Patience.

The rest of the morning is one clusterfuck after another. I had to back to back meetings, and an offsite meeting with my lawyers about a new acquisition. It was during that time that Andrea tells me Ana came up to my office to find me. So, I missed seeing my girl who is probably irritated with me over that pissing contest this morning.

Just as expected, Carrick walks into my office right around midday. I've been ignoring his calls for days, but ever the predictable Grey, he walks into my office with Elliot right behind him holding a bag with I imagine is our lunch.

I shake my head. As predictable as he is, dragging Elliot with him is a complete surprise. I was betting on him finding me and dragging me to some restaurant for this lecture.

"Son," is all he says.

"Dad. This is a surprise," I say. Him being here right now is the least surprising thing, but I'm still irritated. I have been since that asshole decided to flirt with Ana this morning.

"I've been trying to reach you for days. We need to talk," he says. He grabs the bag from Elliot and proceeds to arrange lunch at my table. Andrea walks in with bottles of water.

My irritation increases. Not only does he barge in here, but he's giving my assistant orders as well?

"I got your favorite. Subs."

Is he for real?

"Subs? Really, dad?" My irritation keeps climbing.

"For fucks sakes, Christian. Just call them hoagies. Can we just get through this, please? No need to get all worked up." Elliot huffs and takes a seat.

"Language, Elliot. Sit down, Christian."

He sits down and begins to eat, waiting for me follow him. Elliot starts to eat while sitting across from dad, but I grab my sandwich and move to the head of the table.

I wait for him to speak.

"What are we going to do about this family, boys?" Dad asks between bites.

"Talk to your wife, dad," I respond.

"She's trying," dad says. I hear Elliot snort.

"Really? Is she? By calling EJ a mistake? By never letting me or Elliot forget that we're not perfect and we don't fit into her image of what our perfect little family is supposed to look like? I'm not going to apologize for my sex life. In fact, I'm done talking about it."

"And I refuse to apologize for my son, dad. What happened is what happened, and I'm happy he's here now. I don't know what else to tell you," Elliot says. It's about time he found his balls.

"I'm not here to talk about any of that. I want us to move past that. Elliot, your mother loves EJ more than words. You know this, but she worries about you being a single dad. That's all." Bullshit. Maybe that's part of it, but that's not all. It doesn't fit her image.

"And, Christian, you know this impacted the entire family. Her practice was affected. Her reputation at the hospital. She's still dealing with all of that, but she loves you."

"Dad, I've apologized for that. The way she acts, you'd think I was a serial killer or something. And this has all died down. No one is talking about it except her. She's the one who can't let it go. You had the same issues as her, but you don't remind me of it every day." I don't mention that her practice really didn't suffer much at all. A few people found other pediatricians, but her practice is so busy now that she can't even accept any new patients.

"Your grandmother will be home this weekend. She's doing well, so we want everyone over at the house for a Sunday barbeque. We haven't done that this summer. It's time we start acting like a family again."

I look at Elliot and we roll our eyes. Dad's missing the point here. Elliot and I aren't the problem. His wife is.

"Again, talk to your wife."

"And you owe your mother an apology, Christian. Both of you, actually. Elliot, for the crude comments you made, and Christian, for the things you said to her in Montana and on the phone yesterday." Of course, she went crying to him.

"Wait. What happened yesterday?" Elliot asks.

"More of the same. I called to check on grandma, and when I told our dear mother that things were going great for me, she reminded me not to bring anymore shame to the family. Makes sense since bringing shame to the family is my M.O. lately."

"Christian-," dad begins.

"And what am I supposed to apologize for, dad? I made a crude comment to my brother as a joke. I didn't know she was behind us eavesdropping. How about, I'm sorry mom for not keeping it in my pants and for giving you a grandson. And Christian can apologize for what? Having hormones? Or his touch issues? Or being a kinky bastard?"

I almost choke on my water when he says that. I let out a half snort, half laugh.

"Enough, boys. Apologize for being disrespectful towards your mother. That is all. I've talked to my sons, and I'm going to talk to your mother as well. I want all of this behind us."

"She's the one who won't let it go, dad!" I almost feel like beating my head against this table.

He's about to respond, but there's a soft knock on the door. Thankful to get a reprieve from this conversation, I quickly yell out come in.

Ana walks in holding what looks like coffee and lunch. As soon as she notices my guests, she stalls and looks like a deer in the headlights.

I walk to her and take the coffee from her hands.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were in a meeting."

"Don't apologize," I kiss her hand. "You remember Elliot? And this is my father, Carrick Grey."

To his credit, Carrick quickly wipes the surprised look from his face. He gets up and shakes Ana's hand.

"Dad, this is Ana Steele. My girlfriend," I say even though we haven't made it official, but as far as I'm concerned, she's mine.

She arches her brows at me, challenging me. I lean in and give her a loud, wet kiss on the cheek.

She lets out a loud giggle before crossing her arms and looking me over.

"Overconfident," she says.

"Brazen," I respond before giving her a kiss on the lips this time.

I had forgotten all about my uninvited guests until I hear the sound of a throat clearing. I look and see both Elliot and dad staring at us.

"It's hot in here, dad. Can you ask Andrea to turn up the AC," Elliot says as he pretends to adjust his collar.

Dad chooses to ignore him.

Ana is once again embarrassed and tries to move out of my arms. I don't let her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my dear." He takes Ana's hand again and kisses it. I guess I know where me and Elliot get it from. We grew up with him kissing mother's hand all the damn time.

"I didn't mean to interrupt. I see you've already got lunch. I'll leave you three alone." She's completely red in the face.

"Don't leave on our account, Ana," Elliot says. "You just saved us from the rest of dad's lecture."

"Oh," is all Ana manages to say.

"Enough, Elliot," dad chastises.

"Join us for lunch, baby. Dad brought plenty."

"You move quick, bro."

Now Ana is completely embarrassed.

"Shut up, idiot," I say.

"I can't stay. It's the lunch rush. I just thought I'd surprise you with something to eat since I missed you earlier."

"Thank you. I'll eat the sandwich later." That's way too many carbs. I'm going to have to put in a two hour workout tomorrow. She starts walking towards the door before I can say anything else.

"It was nice to see you again, Elliot. Nice to meet you, Mr. Grey."

"It's Carrick, my dear. I hope to see you again soon. Real soon." Dad runs to Ana and kisses her hand one more time before I walk her out of the office and to the elevator.

"I'm glad you came to see me even though my dad and brother are here. Come back up before you leave for the day." I give her a deep kiss before she steps in the elevator.

When I get back to my office, dad is still standing in the same spot, but now he has a smile on his face.

"That was unexpected, Christian. She's a beautiful girl," dad says.

"She is," I agree. I go back and sit down to finish my lunch. Seeing my girl has put me in a much better mood.

"How did you two meet each other?"

"She works downstairs at the café." I swear if he says anything snobby, I will kick him out of my office.

"Wonderful. She seems just lovely, son. This is different than your usual-?" He raises his eyebrows waiting for me to fill in the blanks.

"I'm not going there, dad, but I just introduced you to her and kissed her in front of you. Yes, this is different. And are we really going to do this now? Because some money hungry women without morals decided to put my personal business out there, you're going to use that opportunity to bring up my sex life every time I breathe? Are you really going to ask me how I plan to take Ana to bed, dad? You think you now have the right to invade my privacy? You want us to get back to being a normal family? Let me be the first to tell you that this type of questioning is not normal." My anger and frustration have boiled over at this point. I'm so fucking sick of defending myself to my family.

"Calm down, Christian. I was out of line." That's all he says. For someone who is always on me and Elliot to apologize, he certainly not quick to offer any apologies himself.

"Sit down so we can get this lecture over with, Christian," Elliot says between bites.

"Anyway, son, I could tell right away that she's special to you. Bring her over to the house on Sunday."

"I haven't even agreed to come over on Sunday. I don't want mom saying anything to scare her off," I say. It would be nice if mom would be as excited as dad, but I just don't know how she'll react.

"Your mother will be excited, and she would never offend a guest. Leave her to me. And your grandmother wants the family together on Sunday, so you'll be there. You too, Elliot. We need to heal and being apart will not get us to where we need to be. We need to come together as a family, boys."

Again, he needs to talk to his wife.

 **A/N: I guess we got our answer about Christian's cooking skills, or lack thereof. I hope you liked this chapter. Our favorite couple is making progress. Let's hope Grace behaves herself when she meets Ana. Until laters.**


	9. Chapter 9

CC – CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 9

ALL CREDIT TO ELJ

ANA

"He's going to die when he sees you in that white dress, girl," Jose says as I spin in front of him in the dress I once considered wearing for my date with Adam.

That day, I decided that I only wanted to wear this dress for someone I was excited about going out with, and tonight, I'm doing exactly that.

I finish putting on my white open toed wedges and run my hands through my hair one last time as I look in the mirror. I grab my lip stick and apply a new coat of the red gloss. The red pops against the paleness of my skin, giving me the sexy look I desperately want for tonight.

"You look sexy," Jose says as he adds some gel to his hair. He has on a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and a fitted black shirt.

"You think?" I ask, feeling excited to be going on a Friday night with my friend and Christian, who introduced me as his girlfriend to his father, even though I haven't officially agreed yet.

Crazy man. It's almost like he was claiming me in front of them. Letting all of us know that I belonged to him. There's this part of me who loved that. It's a part of myself that I've only recently discovered. A part of me that still needs to be explored.

My phone, which is resting on the bathroom sink, buzzes to life as I get an incoming text message.

"He's here!" I say as I run out of the bathroom and to the front door. I open it, and there he is. Bigger than life and looking so damn sexy. I can't help but look at him from head to toe. I've seen him casual before. I've seen him shirtless and swim trunks. I've seen him in cargo shorts and polo shirts, but right now he stands before me in a pair of loose fitting dark blue jeans and a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His hair is a sexy mess on top of his head.

He's assessing me the same way, because I watch as he licks his lips and studies me from head to toe. I do something that is totally unlike me and I tease him. I do a spin so he can see the entire outfit. I giggle when I hear him moan.

"You look beautiful," he says as he pulls me to him, kissing me on the lips.

"You look good, too," I say back.

I hear Jose clear his throat.

"What about me," he says spinning so we can see him.

I roll my eyes and Christian laughs.

"So, where are you taking us, G-Money?" Jose asks as he grabs his wallet and puts it in his back pocket.

"Will you stop calling him that?" I ask completely embarrassed.

"Mile High Club," Christian says and Jose lets out a loud shriek. When I told Christian that Jose and I frequent a hole in the wall dive bar that turns into a club on Friday nights, he was less than impressed. I was doing my best to convince him to come when Jason walked into his office. When he heard our plans, he said no way in hell as that was a security risk. Christian offered to take me, Jose and Jose's date somewhere else instead.

When I ran the idea by Jose, he was all for it.

"Mile High, Ana! We can never get in there. I'm going to text Scott so he can meet us there later." Jose stands in the corner, texting his latest boyfriend, with a smile on his face.

"Mile High, huh? Fancy. I guess the hole in the wall I wanted to go to just isn't good enough for you," I tease.

"Come here," he says pulling me towards him. He lets out a whistle as he spins me around. "This body right here is going to drive me crazy tonight. And this little white dress you're wearing might just give me a heart attack." He pulls me into his arms and kisses my neck slowly. My nipples instantly harden and I start to feel a throbbing inside the thongs I'm wearing.

"So, you like?" I ask, moving from his hold and spinning around one more time. Before I do a full spin, he's pulling me to him again.

"I move than like," he whispers, taking my mouth in his. I shove my hands in his hair to make sure I don't accidentally touch his no go zones before I deepen the kiss. His lips are soft, and as soon as I open my mouth to him, I get a taste of the mint in his mouth.

I feel him place his hands on my butt has he pushes me closer to him. I lose myself in the kiss, taste and smell of him. I've kissed men before, but never at this level of intensity. I close my eyes as I mold my body into his. I hear myself moan into his mouth. I grind into him and feel his erection.

I need more. So much more.

I want to say forget about going out.

Forget about the Mile High Club, and go back to his house and lose ourselves to each other on that beautiful bed of his, but I don't get the chance.

Fucking Jose clears his throat and we pull away from each other.

"God damn, you two. Let's go party," he says as he pulls me away and stands between the two of us.

I'm panting for breath, and I notice Christian is too.

"If I don't put a stop to this right now, I'm never going to get to the Mile High Club tonight, and I already promised Scott. Let's go, kids," he says clapping his hands at us. "Hop to it."

He flings the door open and ushers us out of the apartment.

Christian takes my hand and leads us to his waiting car outside.

"Holy fuck! Is this a Bentley? Ana, this is a fucking Bentley! You're taking us to the club in a fucking Bentley? Will you be my best friend?" Before either of us can respond, he runs to the car. Even though there is an Audi parked behind the Bentley, Jose doesn't even wait for Christian to acknowledge which car is his. Jose just opens the door and lets himself in.

"Is he like this all the time?" Christian asks.

"Yes. Unfortunately."

By the time we walk to the car, the driver has the door opened for us. Christian helps me in and slides in besides me, sandwiching me between him and Jose. I've never been inside a Bentley before, but it's the most luxurious car I've ever seen. I've never felt such soft leather and the car still has the new car smell. Quite the contrast from the eleven year old heap of junk that I drive. The driver, one I've never seen before pulls away, and the Audi follows us.

Christian doesn't let go of my hand as the car maneuvers through the Seattle traffic. He also nuzzles my neck between kisses and inhales.

"Boy, Ana. When you get a boyfriend, you go all out."

"He's not my boyfriend," I moan as he kisses me.

"Yes, I am," he says.

"Girl, please. And you better not do anything to mess this up. Let him do whatever he wants to you because I was meant for this life," he says and he sighs and leans back into his seat.

"Listen to your friend, Ana," he teases. I look at him, and he winks at me while smiling, showing off that damn dimple.

"Oh, shut up, Jose," I say to my friend.

* * *

"Hey, bro!" I turn and see Elliot as soon as we walk inside the club. We bypassed the line and went in through a side door, and there he was dressed in black jeans and a tight knitted blue top.

"I made the mistake of telling my brother about our plans and he invited himself," Christian says. Just like he did the first time we met, Elliot takes my hand and kisses it. He lingers a little too long kissing my hand, and his eyes travel over my body a little too longingly because Christian grabs my hand from Elliot's and pushes him aside.

"Back off," I hear him say, and Elliot laughs.

"You're too easy, bro." We introduce him to Jose, and soon a tall woman with short hair comes and hugs Christian. She's tall, gorgeous and is wearing the shortest black dress and strappy stilettos. I immediately dislike her and I'm ready to pull her away from him until he introduces me to her as his sister. I feel shame, especially when she practically tackles me in her attempt to hug me.

"I had to hear from Elliot and dad that you have a girlfriend. Dad, Christian. Dad! I'm offended. Ana, come to me and I'll tell you all the embarrassing stories you want to know about my big brother." She gives me a mischievous wink as she says that.

"I'll cancel your American Express so fast your head will spin. This is a surprise, Meems," Christian says while pulling her to his side.

"Yeah. She was supposed to be my babysitter but when she heard I was coming with you, she passed my son off on our parents and tagged along."

"Well, it's not like mom and dad had plans tonight. Come on! Let's get some drinks," Mia says. We're escorted to a reserved area in the VIP section. Not only are we in a private area, but we have three bodyguards standing watch. I recognize one as the driver from tonight, and the other two guys are from the Audi that followed us here.

Jose almost faints when two bottles of champagne are delivered to our table.

"This is Cristal, bitch! One bottle costs more then we make in a month! Combined," he whispers into my ear. "When this man pulls out his handcuffs, you better just obey and say yes, sir. Spank me harder, sir. Please do me up the ass, sir. Whatever you want me to do, sir. I bet he drinks this shit like it's water."

"Thanks a lot, friend," I say to him while I pinch him from under the table making him squeal.

Before I can say more to him, Christian pulls me into his side. Jose gets a text and he goes to meet Scott at the door, but not before downing his glass of champagne in one gulp.

As soon as I take my first sip, I understand why Jose was making such a fuss.

"I hope you won't be a party pooper tonight, Grey," I whisper to Christian. He smiles at me letting me know he remembers how he tried to stop me from drinking too many margaritas at Gail's shower.

"Not tonight." To prove his point, he refills my glass.

"What's different about tonight?" I ask.

"Well, for one, I had zero control the last time. You weren't mine. I couldn't stay by your side. I couldn't make you stay if you wanted to leave. And you acted like you wanted nothing to do with me."

"And you think things are different now?"

"I know they are. You're mine now. You're here with me. You're coming home with me. And I don't plan on letting you out of my sight all night. So, drink away, my little lush."

"I'm not yours, though, Christian Grey."

"But you are. And you know you are."

"Says who?"

"Says your body every time I get close to you."

He doesn't give me time to respond, he reaches for me and puts me on his lap right there in front of his brother and sister. He plants tiny kisses on my exposed shoulder and I melt into him.

"I'm so fucking horny. I'm definitely taking a girl home tonight." I almost choke when I hear Elliot utter those words. I'm immediately reminded that we're not alone. Both Mia and Elliot are looking at us. Mia is smiling at me and Christian and Elliot is scowling. I try to move from his lap, but he holds on to me.

"Gross. I don't need to hear this shit from my brother, Elliot!" Mia says.

"Don't let mom hear you. The last fucking thing I need is another lecture from our father," Christian says right before he and Elliot burst into laughter.

"Your dad lectures you guys?" I ask.

"Every time we fucking sneeze, he's there with a lecture. Good thing he's not religious, or he'd be ready with scripture, too." Elliot throws back his champagne and refills his glass.

"Seriously? Someone actually lectures you two?" I cover my mouth with my hand to hide my laugh.

Mia outright laughs at them.

"And that's why I'm the favorite, Ana," Mia tells me. "These two, even when we were kids, were always getting into one mess after another and mom and dad were always fussing at them. Especially Elliot. I'm an angel compared to them."

"I don't want to talk about our parents. It's bad enough my siblings crashed my date. You wanna dance, baby?" He asks me.

"I do, but I want to finish this champagne first. It's so good." I take a very unladylike gulp before putting my glass down and getting up from his lap. He gets up, takes me hand and leads me to the dance floor. On the way there, we spot Jose and Scott and he quickly introduces us as he leads Scott to the VIP section.

We head to the dance floor, where for the next hour we let ourselves go to the music of Bruno Mars, Usher, Cardi B, Beyonce, and several top hits from the 90's. I've danced with Christian before, but that time at Gail's house I was nervous and out of my element, but this time, I lose myself in him. Jose and I go dancing all the time, and we can spend hours on the dancefloor. There are few people who can keep up with us when we're dancing, and Christian is one of the few.

As we danced, I would press my body as close to his as possible. We find our rhythm as soon as we get on the floor and we don't stop until we're both panting and out of breath.

We're about to leave the dance floor to get a drink when Ed Shereen's Shape of You starts to play. He pulls me back on the dance floor for another dance. As we danced to that song, our eyes remained locked the entire time. I get close to his body and I can feel how our dance is turning him on. My nipples harden and I press them against his chest, while never breaking eye contact. I see his pupils dilate, and I hear his sharp intake of breath.

He pulls me a bit closer. He bends down to kiss me, while gazing into my eyes.

I get on my toes to meet him halfway. I can feel my heart beating fast. We've kissed before, but there is something different in his eyes this time. It's not just want. It's need. And it's carnal.

I can feel the moisture between my legs and right before our lips could touch, Elliot throws his arm across my shoulder.

"Mind if I cut in, bro?" He asks. I can see the mischief in his eyes, and I can smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Fuck off, Elliot. Hands off," Christian says before he pulls me from Elliot's grasp.

"Relax, kids. I have my eye on that blonde over there. I'm dipping my stick in someone tonight for sure." Elliot points to some random blonde before winking at us and walking away.

Hours later, after more drinking, more dancing and more laughter at Elliot's expense, we leave the club. Jose went home with Scott, so Christian drove me straight to his house with me cuddling on his side on the drive there.

I fall asleep and have to be awakened once the car pulls into the garage.

"Come on, baby. Let's go inside."

His door is opened by the driver, and I follow him out. I stumble as I step out of the car, and soon a strong arm is around my waist, holding me in place.

We go inside the giant house, and I'm so tired that if feels like an hour by the time we walk all the way to the master suite. He turns the shower on for me, and he goes to shower in another bathroom.

I put my hair up in a messy bun to prevent it from getting wet and take the quickest shower of my life. He's still not back when I step out of the shower, but he left me pajamas, hot pink shorts and a camisole. As soon as I put them on, I lay on top of the covers on my stomach. I let out a contented sigh as I lay on what I can only imagine a bed of clouds feels like.

Minutes later, I feel strong hands massaging the muscles in my back.

"Mhmm. You have nice hands," I whisper.

"And you have nice everything." He kneads my entire back, and even massages my calves and feet.

"This is heaven," I say. "Don't stop."

"I was hoping the first time you'd tell me not to stop would be in a different context," he says playfully.

"You're such a perv. I should tell your dad on you," I say back. He lets out a loud laugh and playfully slaps my ass.

I let out a groan of displeasure when the massage ends. He gestures for me to get under the covers and I do. He pulls me to him and I rest my head in the crook of his neck.

The last thing I remember before falling asleep is Christian Grey kissing my forehead.

I stick my head under a pillow in order to avoid the sunlight coming through the bedroom. I lay on my side and feel Christian's strong arm wrapped around my waist.

In my attempt to avoid the sunlight, I move my buried my head deeper under the pillow, moving a bit further away from my bedmate in the process. He moves closer to my back side, pulling me into his chest. He presses himself to my back, making me feel his erection.

After feeling that, I become completely awake. I hear him moan as he grinds into me. I can feel the blush on my face at the feel of him. In an instant, I feel his hand cupping my breast, squeezing it.

I bite my lip and squeeze my thighs together. Just a touch and I already have a dull ache between my legs.

I lay still, waiting to see what he does next.

He grinds into my ass again and squeezes my breast hard, this time pinching my nipples between his fingers.

I let you a little yelp, and I feel him freeze against me. He moves a fraction and I no longer feel his erection. He removes his hand from my breast and takes his arm from around my waist.

"Ana?" He says testing to see if I'm awake.

"Good morning."

"Did you sleep ok?" He asks.

"I slept great. Excuse me," I say as I hop out of the bed and run into the bathroom. I close the door and lean against in wondering just what the hell I'm doing with this man. A man with so much sexual experience and me, a damn virgin.

I use the bathroom, brush my teeth and splash some cold water on my face before drying it with a small white towel. I stand in the bathroom and stare at my reflection in the mirror for several minutes, willing my reflection to give me some answers as to what the fuck I'm doing here.

"Ana?" He knocks in the door. I put a smile on my face before opening the door.

"Are you ok?" He asks.

"I'm fine," I say as I walk past him and into the bedroom.

"Ok. You were in there a long time. I'll be right back," he says before going into the bathroom and closing the door.

I use that time to look around the luxurious bedroom. It's tastefully decorated with rich, dark wood furniture. It's spacious and unlike the tiny apartment I share with Jose, it's devoid of any clutter.

For the first time, I notice that there is a patio off the bedroom. I open the French doors and step outside onto the biggest patio that I've ever seen. There's beautiful white furniture. You can take Ray's entire house in Montesano and place it on this patio, and you'd still have room. I stand there enjoying the warm summer breeze as I looked out into the outside pool and meadow.

For fuck's sakes. I'm at a house that has both and inside and an outside pool. What the fuck am I doing here? I run back inside and go in the closet in search of the outfit I wore the last time I was here.

I need to go home and I refuse to do the walk of shame in that white dress. Unfortunately, I can't find what I'm looking for.

I run out of the closet so he won't think I'm snooping again. As soon as I step into the bedroom, he comes out of the bathroom.

We stare at each other, neither one of us speaking.

"Are you hungry? We can go out for breakfast."

"You don't have to do that. I should go home. I'm moving in two weeks and I need to start packing. Last night was fun, so thank you for everything. I guess I'll see you on Monday if you decide to stop by the café."

Feeling awkward and not knowing what else to say, I grab the dress I wore last night from the chair where I threw it and try to walk past him to go back into the bathroom to change.

He grabs my elbow before I can make it to the door.

"What's going on? Are you trying to give me the brush off?"

"No. I'm just trying to be realistic."

"Explain because I'm confused. Is it because of what happened in the bed? I was asleep when I did that if I made you feel uncomfortable-," I stop him before he can continue.

"I'm not mad about that. I know you were asleep when you did that. And to be honest, I really liked it. It's not that," I say.

"Then what is it? I thought we had a great time last night."

"We did. I did," I say looking at him in his eyes. For someone who is usually so confident, I can see the confusion in his eyes and in the way he furrows his brows.

"Then I don't understand."

"I just thought you might have stuff to do today. I figured I'd get out of your hair," I lie. I break eye contact.

He grabs my chin and forces me to look at him.

"Try again and don't lie to me next time."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

"Did I do something to scare you?" He asks.

"No. It's not that. It's just that-"

"It's just what?"

"It's just that you've made it no secret that you want to be with me," I exaggerate the word be so he can know what I'm referring to.

"I haven't. I want you. I've made no secret of that."

"Well, it's just that you have a wealth of experience and I have none. What I'm saying is that I'm a virgin. I've never been with a man and well, you're the opposite of virgin. You'll probably laugh me out of the bedroom. And I'd really like to avoid making a complete fool of myself. The first time is awkward enough and when you add the fact that I'm a twenty three year old virgin, well that's probably a recipe for disaster. And furthermore-," he puts his fingers on my mouth, shutting me up.

"And furthermore, I already know you're a virgin. You've never had a boyfriend. You almost blushed yourself into a coma when you saw my erection in the office the other day, and you told me you were a virgin right in this very room when I caught you snooping the first time you came here."

"I wasn't snooping. I got lost trying to find a bathroom." I will tell that lie until the day I die.

"So, then you understand why we probably would be a disaster in the bedroom together. Virgin loses her virginity to dominant. Sounds like the plot of an erotic novel, a ridiculous one at that," I tell him. He's still holding on to my arm, making it impossible for me to go and get dressed.

"Ana, baby, we would be far from a disaster. You're the most beautiful, sexy woman I've ever seen. I've wanted you for so long, but only when you're ready."

"But-"

"No buts. The last time we were in the tub, you agreed to get to know Christian Grey the man, not the myth. Not what's reported or written about. _Me_. Let me show you who I am. Yes, I enjoy an unorthodox sex life. Yes, it's all I've practiced for almost a decade, and yes, I would love nothing more than to share that with you, but we don't have to start with that. I promise whatever we do will only bring you pleasure, and I promise that your first time will not be a BDSM scene."

"Can you do that? If this is your thing, I don't want you to change for me. I don't want you to have to contort yourself to be someone you're not just to please me. That can't and won't end well, and it's totally unfair to you."

"I'm glad you feel that way. My wish is that this is something we can do together."

I let out a sigh of frustration.

"I've never even had sex before, Christian. None! Not even oral. Not even a fucking hand job. How the hell am I supposed to not look pathetic when it comes to doing _that_?"

He sighs and leads me to the patio that's off the bedroom. There's a table with four chairs and a loveseat. He takes me to the loveseat, sits down and pulls me down on his lap. He wraps his arms around me and plants a soft kiss on my shoulder.

"Pathetic is the last thing you are. In fact, I'm the one who will look pathetic when I last less than a minute when I finally get inside of you." I blush at those words, but I also feel a throb between my legs. I wish he'd get inside me now.

"Point is, I want you so much and I have since I first saw you. Our first time together won't include BDSM. It will be two people making love right there on that bed. You have no idea how many times I've pictured it. As far as the other stuff goes, we can go slowly and start off with something small. I promise you that I will only ever give you pleasure, and whatever we do, it's done with your consent. I will never do anything you don't want. Ever. And I want more than BDSM with you. I know you're worried because that's essentially the only type of relationship I've ever had with a woman, but I want more with you. I'll be honest, I'd love to keep some elements of the lifestyle. I'd love to share it with you. Lots of couples practice the lifestyle together."

I lay my head in the crook of his neck and relax against him.

"I know that. I did some research, but that's not all I'm afraid of. And this is probably a misconception on my part, but I just don't want to be bossed around. And there are some real extremes in the lifestyle. I don't want to be humiliated, choked, walked around on a leash."

"Consent, remember? And I'm not into humiliation or breath play."

"And the leash?"

"If you're not into it, neither am I, but if you're afraid that it's humiliating, it's not."

"I want to be with you, Christian. I really do, and I don't want you to give up what you love for me, so if we do this, I will try.

"That's all I ask, but I'm not worried about it. You'll love it. Now, can you taking me out of my fucking misery and agree to be mine? You already are, but I want to hear you say it."

I sigh and pretend to be annoyed as I think about it.

"I suppose, boyfriend." He smiles and pulls me into his arms, kissing me deeply.

"It's about damn time. You just tell me when you're ready and I will take care of your virginity problem for you. Hymen broken. Cherry popped, booty spanked for making me wait so long and for telling Jose that I wasn't your boyfriend last night." He's laughing as he says it, and I can't help but laugh with him.

"Well, you better make it good, Christian Grey. And TPE only in the bedroom." And I reach out and slap his ass, surprising him.

"I see someone's been doing research," he kisses my shoulder again.

"Gotta keep you on your toes." Just then my stomach growls.

"Come on. Let's get dressed and I'll take you out for breakfast. Maybe we can go out on the boat today. What do you think?" He asks as I rise from his lap and walk back into the bedroom.

"You have a boat? I like the sound of that. I was hoping you'd make French toast for me again." He him miss a step when I say that. He clears his throat and runs his fingers through his hair.

"How about I cook it for you another day? Let's get out of the house and enjoy the good weather?"

"Ok. Maybe we can go eat somewhere close to my house. I need to change."

He gives me a smirk before taking my hand and leading me to the closet.

"I guess you missed this when you were snooping." There's a secret door in the closet. He pushes down on it, and it reveals another closet, packed full of women's clothes complete with price tags. I look and they're all designer and my size. "For you."

I pull out a blue green sundress and fall in love with it. I almost pass out when I see the price tag. Holy shit!

"When did you do this?" I ask.

"Now, that's for me to know. Pick something so we can go." With that he walks out of the closet. Not only are there clothes, but there are also shoes and handbags. I can't help but smile. I guess he always knew I was a sure thing.

 **A/N: It's official! They are a couple now, despite Ana freaking out. I wanted this chapter to include a little bit of Grace, but it got to be really long. Next chapter will be up on Sunday, as it's partly written. I hope you enjoyed chapter 9. And a big thank you to Mrs. Caron for always having such great ideas. Until Laters.**


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

ALL CHARACTERS BELONG TO ELJ

ANA

As we're sitting in the back of a BMW, I lean into his side. Careful of his touch issues, I make sure to only rest my head on his shoulder.

He traces a finger across my cheeks and lips. I look up and smile at him, and he leans down and gently kisses my mouth.

"You look beautiful. Looks like you caught some sun yesterday."

I sigh and melt into him, thinking about the hours we spent on his so called boat yesterday. I've been on a boat with Ray, Jose and Mr. Rodriguez. We've all fished many times. The thing I was on yesterday is a mansion on the water. It was a damn yacht with every convenience known to man. I could happily live in that thing.

We spent hours sailing, talking and just being together. When he said that sex would happen only when I'm ready, he meant it. Although we spent most of yesterday and last night together kissing and touching, he has yet to initiate sex. I wish he would. Maybe he's waiting for me to tell him I'm ready, and I am, but I have yet to let him know.

Soon.

Very soon.

But not today because the butterflies just won't leave my stomach. Maybe I didn't say anything yesterday about sex because the minute he asked me to join his family for a small, informal Sunday barbeque, I've been stressed out at the thought of being on display for his entire family.

"Don't be nervous. You've already met most of my family. The only person you haven't met yet family is my mother. My grandparents will be there, too. My grandad flirts with every woman he meets, and grandma loves everyone she meets. Relax. Oh, and you look beautiful."

Today I picked a light blue floral high low maxi dress with strappy sandals to go with it. It had a four figure price tag on it, which I texted to Jose. He sent back a gif of someone fainting from shock.

How the hell did I let him talk me into this? After spending an amazing day with him yesterday on his giant yacht, he casually mentioned it as I laid in his arms last night in bed.

When he asked, I remember just nodding, not really thinking it through, but now that we're almost here, I'm scared to death.

It's one thing to run into his brother and father unintentionally. It's another to be going to his childhood home where several family members will be.

I bite my lip and run my hand through my hair. I'd feel a lot more at ease if Jason was the driver today, but he and Gail are off this weekend doing some last minute wedding things, so we're stuck with some driver named Sawyer. Unlike Jason, Christian has been quite abrupt with Sawyer for no apparent reason.

I lean into his side for the remainder of the short drive. We pull into a long circular driveway. This house is huge, though not as huge as Christian's house. It's all brick with a perfectly manicured lawn and a giant water fountain in the middle of the front yard.

Now is the time to pretend to have a migraine so I can go home. He would believe me, and he'd come with me to take care of me. I haven't known him for long, but I've learned quickly how nurturing he can be, but when I look at him, he looks so happy for me to be here that I just can't open my mouth to tell that lie.

"We're here," he says. The door is opened and I follow him out. He leads us to the back of the house where I can already hear talking and laughing. I feel the butterflies in my stomach start to take flight again. He must sense it because he grabs my hand and intertwine our fingers together.

I relax a little bit when the first person we run into is Elliot.

"Hey, guys," he says. "It's about time you got here, Christian. Mom's in rare form and I need her to take her attention off me."

"She'd better not start any of her shit today. I'm not in the mood." Whatever they are talking about, it does not sound good.

Elliot then turns his attention to me, grabs my hand and kisses it.

"Hey, Ana Banana," he says. "Welcome to Grey Land." He started calling me Ana Banana, much to Christian's annoyance, when we were all at the Mile High Club together on Friday.

His silliness does put me at ease for a minute.

"Did you go home with that blonde last night?" I ask.

"Hell no. I thought I had it sealed until she told me she wanted me to go home with her and her boyfriend." I laugh and Christian smirks at him.

He looks behind him to make sure no one is listening, and then he lowers his voice.

"I'm not against multiple partners, but the only dick in the room is going to be attached to me. I'm only interested in pussy." I was totally unprepared for him to say that, and nearly choke on my laughter.

"Jesus, Elliot! Shut the fuck up!" Christian says but even he can't hide his smile.

"What? I know you've heard the word pussy before right, Ana? Anyway, if I don't meet someone soon, I might have to start paying for it." I look at Christian in shock, but he just shrugs his shoulders as if he's used to his brother's crass language.

"I'm sure it wouldn't be the first time, you idiot. Ignore him, Ana. He has no manners."

"Uncle Chrissy!" Like a flash of lightening, EJ comes running to us and jumps into his uncle's arms. He's wearing swim trunks and floaties on each arm, but he's also carrying a teddy bear. One dressed in a gray suit and with red hair.

"It's Uncle Chrissy," he says holding the bear to his uncle. He lays his head on Christian's shoulder just as this foreign feeling takes over me.

"He saw that thing at the store the other and insisted he have it. He had a damn fit until I told him he could have it. He's been calling it Uncle Chrissy ever since. It looks like you, C. You are getting rather portly since you've settled into relationship bliss." He nudges Christian on his shoulder and chuckles.

Christian playfully elbows him in the ribs while holding EJ.

"Christian! Ana, welcome." Christian's dad comes over, does the signature Grey move of kissing my hand before hugging me. He then shakes his son's hand.

"Christian, I'm going to borrow Ana and introduce her to everyone else."

A look of panic crosses my face, and Christian takes the hint and follows us with EJ in his arms as his father leads me to an older woman sitting on a lounge chair. His father locks his arm with mine as he leads me to the older woman.

"Ana, this is Christian's grandmother and my mother in law, Adelle Trevelyan. Addy, this is Ana Steele, Christian's girlfriend." She quickly stands up, and an older gentleman runs to her and puts his hand around her waist to hold her steady. She shoos him away and approaches me. She grabs my face in her hands and pulls me into a hug. For someone who just had surgery, her grip is strong.

"Oh, my. Pleasure to meet you, my dear. Christian, she's absolutely beautiful. Well done, son," she says. I'm embarrassed by the attention and stand there awkwardly.

Christian goes and hugs his grandma. EJ starts to fidget and he finally puts him down. The two year old latches on to Carrick's leg as Carrick absentmindedly runs a hand through EJ's blonde curls.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Trevelyan."

"It's grandma, honey. Everyone calls me grandma. And this is my husband, Theo."

Mr. Trevelyan winks before kissing both of my cheeks, followed by my hand.

"Welcome, darling," he said. "It's a pleasure. She's beautiful, Christian. Do you have an older sister? How about your mom? Is she single? You must have an aunt?" I don't know how to respond so I laugh. I'm relieved when everyone else laughs too, including grandma.

"Ignore him, dear. He flirts with every female he sees but his downstairs doesn't work anymore. Not unless he takes a couple of Viagra. Now, come sit by me so I can get to know you."

"You weren't saying that a week ago. What do you think we were doing when she had that heart attack?" Mr. Trevelyan says. I'm stunned speechless, but Carrick just laughs and Christian just shakes his head.

She leads me to the lounge chair where she was sitting. Carrick, ever the gentleman, quickly brings a chair for me.

Christian quickly comes and stands next to my chair.

"You ok, baby?"

"She's fine, Christian. Now leave us girls alone to talk. Why don't you get us a drink? Seltzer for me. Ana looks like a vodka girl," grandma says, winking at me.

"Or tequila," I say.

"A girl after my own heart. Now shoo." Christian leans down and gives me a kiss on the cheek before going to get our drinks. I spend the next few minutes talking to his grandma about my plans to go back to college in the fall. Before she can interrogate me any further, Christian comes back with EJ following him. This time, the two year runs into my arms and gives me a hug before running back to Elliot.

"You've got yourself a good girl, Christian. You see how EJ ran into her arms? Kids are always drawn to good people. Remember that. And it would be nice to give him a cousin while he's still young. I'm not getting any younger and with my failing health, you never know." I start to choke on the drink that Christian handed me, and I see him lose all color in his face.

"Uh, we've only just met, grandma," he says.

"So, what? When you know, you know."

"Where's mom?" Thank goodness Christian changes the subject.

"She's in there fussing with the caterers. Your mother needs to relax." Grandma goes into another story about how things were when she first got married. While we're listening, I catch Christian's eye and he winks at me. I wink back before taking a sip of my drink, which I notice has absolutely no alcohol.

I look around, and this is not the typical Sunday barbeque like the ones I've had in Montesano with my parents when they were still married. Ray would be at the grill and mom would cook the side dishes.

There are caterers setting up tables, and hired help working multiple grills. There's a bartender and staff passing around drinks and appetizers. The property is beautiful with a pool, large patio and a rose garden that would rival any botanical garden. This is a home one might see on the cover of a magazine, so what the hell am I doing here?

Then I look at him, and he smiles at me and I remember. I'm here for him. I'm here because this man is completely the opposite of what I believed him to be. But, truthfully, I'm here because he asked me and because I want to be.

"Oh, look! Shana is here," I hear grandma say. I think Shana is the cousin who recently got married. She apparently pushed back her honeymoon due to her grandmother's health.

She's a beautiful girl with long blonde hair and green eyes. I'm introduced to her and her husband, and she greets me with a hug.

"You should have come with Christian to the wedding, Ana. I'm so glad to meet you."

"I would have brought her except Ana was still playing hard to get at that time."

His grandmother cackles.

"I knew I liked you, Ana. You have to make these young men work for it." I chuckle at that because I most certainly am making him work for it. I woke up before him again this morning only to find his desire pressed against my ass.

While his grandmother is talking to Shana, Christian steers me away and walks me towards where the bar is set up.

"Your grandmother is nice," I say to him. I haven't met his mom yet, but everyone has been quite welcoming so far.

"She's a sweet woman. I'm glad you're here." He leans down and kisses my cheek. Before I can respond, I see EJ leading Mia towards us. She's dressed in a bathing suit and matching cover up. Behind them is a woman who I believe must be Christian's mother. She's of average height, has blonde hair and is wearing a beige loose fitting maxi dress. She doesn't have a single hair out of place, and when she approaches us, her green eyes are directly on me.

Unlike grandma Trevelyan, I don't see any warmth in her eyes. The eyes assessing me are rather cold. When our eyes meet, she gives me a smile devoid of any genuineness. I move closer to Christian, who immediately puts his arm around my waist.

"Here she is, grammy," EJ says pointing to me. "Grammy has cupcakes! Let's swim, Meemee!" And he runs off as soon as he says that. I forget about Christian's mother for a second and laugh at EJ and his non sequitur.

"Mom's been complaining that she's the last person to meet Ana, so I thought I'd bring her over. I'll let you make the introductions, big brother," Mia announces before taking off and running after EJ.

I know instantly that Christian's mood has shifted. Unlike the other introductions, this one has him on edge.

"Hello, darling," his mother says to him. She goes over and kisses him on the cheek. "It's good to see you and to have all of my children and grandson here."

"Mother, this is Anastasia Steele. Ana, this is my mother, Grace Grey." How very formal on his part.

No hug is offered to me, but she does extend her hand. Her palms are cold, but her grasp is firm.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Anastasia. I've been hearing about you from my husband for several days now."

"Uh, it's a pleasure to meet you as well, Mrs. Grey," I say unsure as to how to respond to the rest of her statement.

"It's doctor, dear," she says.

"My apologies. Dr. Grey."

"Actually, I go by Dr. Trevelyan." I'd rather call her Dr. Bitch, but I just smile at her.

"Dr. Trevelyan? Since when, mother?" I can hear the irritation in Christian's voice.

"Anyway, I'm so glad my son brought you over, Anastasia."

"Actually, I prefer to be called Ana," I say to her. If she can have a name preference, so can I.

"Do you? Well, Ana it is, then." I want to be a bitch and tell her that it's always been Ana, but I keep quiet. Whatever is going on between them did not start with me.

We stand there awkwardly. Christian beside me seething, and his mother studying us.

I breath a sigh of relief when Elliot jogs over to us and stands next to me and Christian. It's almost like it's the three of us against her.

"Did you meet Ana, mom? She's too good looking for Christian, isn't she?" I'm grateful for Elliot's interruption.

"Maybe one day soon you'll bring someone home too, Elliot. Hopefully whoever that is will-"

"Not bring shame to the Grey name. We've heard it all before, mom," Elliot says, cutting his mother off.

"Please don't interrupt me, Elliot. I believe I taught you manners when you were growing up. I was going to say that I hope whoever you bring home will be a good fit." She cuts her eyes to me just then, and I automatically inch closer to Christian in an attempt to shield myself from her gaze.

"Like I was saying, I'm happy to meet you, Ana. I look forward to getting to know you while you're around." While I'm around? Did she mean around her house or around period? She smiles at me, but it's a cold smile that doesn't come close to reaching her eyes. To anyone else, this looks like a mother getting acquainted with her son's new girlfriend, but to me it's anything but friendly. She's letting me know that I'm temporary.

"Likewise, Dr. Trevelyan," is all I can think of to say.

"Come on, baby. Let's go get us another drink. It's obvious we're going to need it as long as both of us are _around_. Now, excuse us, _Dr. Trevelyan_." Christian grabs my hand a little too harshly and pulls me away. Elliot walks away from his mother too without another word.

As we're walking away, his father approaches.

"I saw you talking to your mother, Christian. Everything ok?"

"Everything's great, dad. I'm sure the good Dr. Trevelyan will fill you in." I can tell he's seething as he says this to his father.

"Why are you calling your mother that?"

"Talk to your wife, dad. Talk to your wife." And with that, the three of us walk away and join his grandparents in one of the seating areas.

Soon, even more family members and a few neighbors arrive. Appetizers and drinks are being passed around and I help myself to a couple of bellinis. I'm going to need something stronger than lemonade to get through this afternoon.

"You ok?" He asks me as I sip my drink.

"I'm fine. I'm glad you invited me," I tell him. It's the truth. Other than that awkward meeting with his mother, everyone else has been so sweet.

"I'm glad you're here. Come on. I want to introduce you to some more people." I follow him as he leads me to an older couple who lives next door. As we're chatting, grandma Trevelyan joins us.

"Ana!" I turn around to see Mia calling me from the pool. "You want to get in? It's heated."

I shake my head at her.

"I didn't bring a suit." Mia is in there with EJ, who looks so cute in his Batman floaties. He even has on matching Batman sunglasses, and he waves at me. I wave back, and he blows me a kiss.

"Ana, dear, Grace always keeps extra bathing suits around. Come on. I'll show you where they are." Grandma Trevelyan puts her hand on my elbow to steer me towards the house. I reach out for Christian because I have no desire to go inside that house.

"Come on, Ana!" EJ yells.

Just then, Christian's mother approaches us.

"I'll take Ana and show her where to change. You relax, mother. Christian, keep an eye on your grandmother. She's doing too much. The doctor wants her to relax." The last thing I want is to go anywhere with Grace Trevelyan Grey.

"Don't handle me, Gracie," grandma says. "I can walk a few hundred feet."

"I know you can, mother, but I'd like to get a few minutes and get to know Ana. Everyone else has been monopolizing her. Come on, Ana. Shana and a few of the others will be going in the pool soon. Wouldn't want you to feel left out." She says this with a smile on her face, but once again the smile doesn't reach her cold eyes.

"Do you want to swim, Ana? If you don't, you can just stay here with me and grandma," Christian says. I reach for his hand and turn towards his mother and grandmother.

"Dr. Trevelyan-", before I can go any further, I'm interrupted.

"Mother, if Ana wants to swim, I can show here where you keep the extra bathing suits," Christian begins.

"I have a bunch of new bathing suits on my bed, Ana. Show her where my room is, mom!" Mia yells from the pool.

"Come on, dear. I don't bite. I'll take you to Mia's room and we can chat. Relax, Christian. I just want to get to know Ana. I promise to bring her back to you soon,

" she says, taking my hand from Christian and pulling me towards the house.

"I'll be right here, baby. I'll go change and go into the pool with you," he says to me. And because he brought me here to get to know his family, I nod and follow his mother into the house.

Unlike when I went to Christian's house for the first time, I don't even bother really looking at Grace's house. I'm sure it's beautiful but the butterflies in my stomach just won't let me relax. I do notice they have a dual staircase as I follow her upstairs. There are large family photos along the wall, and I stop to admire one of a teenaged Christian.

"This way, dear," she says once we reach the landing. "So, tell me about yourself. How did you meet my son?"

I relax at the question. It's something anyone would ask. Maybe my nerves are unfounded.

"I work at the café in the GEH building. It only just opened up a few months ago."

"You work at a café? And Christian goes in there?"

"Yes. Everyday for a muffin and coffee."

"That doesn't sound like him. He's very particular about what he eats. But, I thought you were a student, not a worker at some coffee shop."

"I am. I'm going back to school in the fall," I tell her. A worker at some coffee shop? I've never been ashamed of who I am or what I do, and I'm not about to start now.

We finally reach what I assume is Mia's bedroom. It's a huge room with a king size canopy bed. There are clothes everywhere. Clothes strewn all over the bed and the couch. There are even clothes on top of the dresser, but thankfully I find a pile of bathing suits right on top of the bed.

"And your job at the café is enough to pay for your tuition?" She asks as I look through several bikinis. I finally find a floral tankini with a matching cover up, which looks suitably modest enough for a family gathering.

"I was able to get a scholarship," I tell her as I find the adjoining bathroom. I slip in to change, thankful to get away from this woman's questions. I know I don't have the fine manners of the one percenters, but even I know it's rude to ask about someone's salary.

"A scholarship?" She asks from right outside the door. "Recently?"

"Uh, as a matter of fact, about three weeks ago when I went to make some sort of payment plan at the bursar's office, I was told that I qualified for a scholarship." I say. I change quickly, pick up the expensive dress I had on and come out of the bathroom. Grace takes the dress from me and starts to walk towards the closet with it. I notice her checking out the label as she was walking.

"Is that what he told you to say?" She asks as she finds a hanger in Mia's huge closet and hangs up the dress.

"I don't know what you mean, Dr. Trevelyan," I say with a sigh. "Can we please go back outside?"

"Is that the story my son told you to tell everyone? That you got a scholarship because it's clear to me that he paid your tuition. Just like he paid for this Caroline Herrera dress. I know you can't possibly afford it," she says to me rather condescendingly. She arches her perfectly shaped eyebrows and crosses her arms, waiting for me to respond.

"The dress was a gift, but your son did not pay for my tuition. He knows nothing about that. We weren't even together when I got that scholarship." I'm irritated at the line of questioning and at her implications.

"Right. You're from Montesano, right? Your father is a carpenter? My daughter likes to talk, and all I've heard lately is about Ana, Christian's _girlfriend_. But I know better. I just can't believe he had the nerve to bring one of you to my house under the guise of a relationship. He's fooled everyone else but not me."

"What does my father or where I'm from have to do with anything? And what do you think you know that no one else does? I _am_ his girlfriend. We _are_ in a relationship. I don't understand your point, Dr. Trevelyan."

"My point is, I know what you are, and I won't stand for it in my house. Is that how he likes it? For you to act all bashful? The constant blushing? The shy glances in his direction? He must have you trained well because you picked out the most modest bathing suit in here. A young girl like you should have more self-respect than that, but I guess desperate times, right? Gotta get that tuition paid." I take an involuntary step back at the words. It's almost as if her words have the power to physically move me.

"Is that what you think your son is worth, Dr. Trevelyan? You think that a woman can only be interested in him for money or sex? You would think as his mother you would know him better than that. Our relationship is nothing like you just described. And to be honest, our relationship is really none of your business. I know you don't believe me, so you can just go on believing whatever the hell you want. Please excuse me." I don't wait for her to speak again. I go around her, yank the door open and get back downstairs as quickly as possible.

My heart is beating out of my chest by the time I make it back to the yard. I'm about to ask Christian to have his driver take me home, because one more word from his mother, and I'm throwing her in the pool.

When I spot him, he's changed into swim trunks but this time he's also wearing a matching swim tee. He's standing there talking to his dad, grandma and Elliot. I stop mid step, not wanting to interrupt them, but he waves me over. I walk to them and he instinctively wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me to his side. He leans down and kisses my temple.

"You look good, baby," he whispers to me.

I'm about to drag him away and tell him what happened between me and his mother, when I see her come out. She looks our way with that fake smile on her face before going to talk to a group of people who just arrived.

"Ana! I'm so glad you decided to get in the pool. EJ's been waiting for you. I'm so glad everyone is here. We need to do this more often. Well, maybe not with so many people, but maybe next Sunday we can cook out with just the immediate family, and you, Ana," Carrick says to me. Unlike his wife, his smile is genuine. His smile gets bigger as he looks from me to Christian.

"And bring Ana to visit me, Christian. With my failing health, I need to see more of my grandkids and their significant others." I have a feeling grandma will use her failing health to get her way a lot.

"You're fine, grandma, but Ana and I will visit this week."

"And you and EJ, Elliot," grandma says looking at him.

"You got it, old lady. Let's go, Christian, so I can beat your ass."

"Elliot and I are going to do laps in the pool. I need you to cheer me on," Christian says to me. I bite my lip and nod. I really want to leave but realize that getting out here won't be an easy feat. If I ask to be driven home, he'll want to know why, and I know him well enough to know that if I insisted, he would leave with me. That would disappoint everyone here. And honestly, everyone, with the exception of his mother, has been so welcoming and nice.

With such a big crowd, it won't be difficult to stay away from Dr. Trevelyan.

I look up at Christian and give him a not so genuine smile. His own smile falters and he quickly excuses us and drags me to a secluded area.

"What's wrong?" He asks. "Did my mother upset you? I swear to god, if she did-,". I put my hands on is bicep and interrupt whatever he was going to say.

"She was just asking questions. Where I worked and about school. Typical stuff," I say to him. It's the truth. I'll just leave out the part when she basically called me a whore.

"That's it?" He asks. I can see him searching my face for some answers, and I simply nod.

"That's it."

"Christian, get your ass over here so we can race. Ana needs to see a real man in action, not some pansy ass like you!" Elliot yells over to us.

"Elliot, language!" His mother says. I resist the urge to role my eyes at her. Where the hell were her manners when we were upstairs?

I use that as an opportunity to change the subject.

"Come on. I want to cheer on my man," I say. Just like I knew they would, his eyes light up at those words. He leans down and kisses me hard on the mouth before taking my hand and leading me to the pool. Elliot dives in, and Christian follows, but not before kissing me again in front of everyone. I blush when I see his father and grandmother smiling at us.

His mother is also watching, but unlike them, she's not smiling. She's not scowling either, but her face if void of any expression.

EJ and Mia walk over to me and EJ grabs on to my leg. I pick him up and rest him on my hip.

"Go, daddy! Go, uncle Chrissy!" He yells, cheering his dad on.

* * *

Elliot and Christian ended up tied in their swim relay, but it was quite fun watching them try to outdo each other. Everyone came to watch and take sides. After their competition, I finally got into the pool. I played with EJ for a minute before Carrick got in the pool and EJ left me for his grandfather.

Now, I'm on Christian's back with my legs wrapped around his waist while he stands on the edge of the pool by the deep end. We're both wearing sunglasses as we watch people swim around us.

"Is this ok?" I ask careful of his touch issues. My arms are around his neck, right above his chest.

"It's fine. Are you having a good time?"

"I always have a good time with you," I tell him. It's true.

"Me too. You hungry?"

"A little," I say. Maybe once we eat, we can get the hell out of here, but despite his mother, I am having a good time with him and his extended family.

Soon, everyone leaves the pool and I follow Mia to her room. I quickly shower and change back into my dress while Mia uses one of the guest bathrooms.

Thankfully when I get back outside, Christian is there waiting for me. He's changed into a different outfit, a different pair of shorts and a tee shirt that drapes across his chest just right. He's holding a drink in his hands and he hands it to me when he sees me. Lemonade. The kind with no vodka.

There are several tables set up, and I'm sitting with Elliot, Christian, Mia, EJ and the grandparents. EJ bypasses his high chair, and announces he wants to sit with Uncle Chrissy, who quickly offers him his lap.

I've never been to a barbeque where you're served the food by a waitstaff. Several dishes are placed on the table family style. My stomach starts to growl at the site and smell of the chicken, ribs and steak placed on our table. My jaw almost hits the floor when grilled lobster tails are placed there as well.

Drink orders are taken, and I request a margarita. To my surprise, Christian orders one too. As we're passing the food around, his parents come and take the last two seats at the table.

"Mom, the chef's prepared a special meal for you. It should be here soon," Grace says.

"Whatever it is will most likely be bland and boring. Just like this damn water I've been drinking all day. I want what Ana's drinking," grandma says. We all laugh when she pouts like a small child.

Grandma is served her special meal, and the rest of us eat the delicious food in front of us. Christian offers me a bit of his lobster. I've never had lobster before, so I reluctantly take a bite. It's delicious so I take my own.

We're quiet until grandma asks me about school and my major. When I tell her I want to be a teacher, her eyes light up and she reveals she was a teacher for over thirty years for the Bellevue School District.

As she's telling me stories and giving me tips on how to manage students, EJ announces rather loudly that he need to go potty.

"Have Uncle Chrissy take you," Elliot says between bites of chicken. "You hold him, you're responsible, bro. And you have about one minute before he goes all over your lap."

At those words, Christian jumps up and runs with EJ into the house.

"You know what I was just thinking about?" Grace asks as soon as Christian is gone.

"What, dear?" Carrick asks.

"That summer when the boys were teenagers and Mia was about ten. Remember we spent a month in the Hamptons? Wasn't that great? We went to the beach. Went horseback riding. I'd love to go back for at least a week. We can rent a house. Or better yet, I've always wanted to own a house in the Hampton, Carrick, and when we were there you promised you'd think about it. What kinds of things did you do with your family in the summers, Ana?" Grace asks me this while I'm sipping on my margarita. I must say there's something for having a waitstaff at these things. As soon as my glass is empty, they place another one in front of me. Her eyes are on me, waiting for me to answer.

"Usually just camping or fishing with my dad. He's a carpenter so summers are busy for him workwise." Please take the attention off me. Please take the attention off me.

"Camping or fishing? Interesting. I was also thinking about that time we went skiing in Switzerland during winter break. We should do that again, too. Have you ever been to Switzerland, Ana?"

"Can't say that I have, Dr. Trevelyan."

"It's a beautiful place. You should go," she says. Some months I can hardly pay my cell phone bill, but sure, I'll charter a private jet and fly off to the Swiss Alps. In what world does she live in? But that's just the point, isn't it? She's showing me that I don't belong.

"Mom is having some revisionist history. Dad fell off a horse and badly sprained his hip when we were in the Hamptons, and I broke my leg when we went to Switzerland. Remember those tidbits, mom? You and dad also got into a huge fight and you didn't speak to each other for like three days. Oh, and I didn't even want to go to Europe that winter. I had a girlfriend and didn't want to leave her." Thank goodness for Elliot, I say. I almost want to smirk at the good doctor, but I restrain myself.

"Mom, please. We are hardly the Brady Bunch," Mia says.

"The point is, Elliot and Mia, that we are a close knit family. Are you close to your family, Ana?"

Before I can answer, EJ comes running out of the house with Christian following him. He takes his seat next to me and EJ climbs back on his lap and returns to his food.

"Are you close to your mother, Ana?" Grace asks again.

"My mother passed away last year," I say, laying my napkin down in my plate.

"I'm sorry, dear. I didn't know." Somehow I don't believe her. She knows a lot of information about me, so I'm pretty sure she knew about this. First, she lets me know I don't belong in their social circle, then she reminds me of one of the most painful parts of my life. Isolate then devastate. This woman is diabolical.

"Enough, mother. Leave Ana out of your little inquisition." Christian protectively puts his arm around my shoulders.

"I'm just trying to get to know your girlfriend, Christian."

"By bringing up her mother? Drop it!" Grace and Christian have a staring contest. Grace is the first to break the stare.

"Did your mother tell you the good news?" Carrick asks. "She's being honored by the hospital as pediatrician of the year. The dinner isn't for another two months, but it's a great honor."

Mia squeals and runs and hugs her mother. Everyone congratulates her.

"Hopefully, you'll attend the dinner with my son, Ana. If you're not busy with your schooling, that is." I'm sure she means if I'm still around. I merely smile and nod. I'll be sure to have the stomach flu that night. If I'm still around, that is.

The focus is taken off me when the conversation turns to grandma's health and treatment plan. I tune all of that out as I think about the last few hours, wondering just what the hell I've gotten myself into. I'm still dealing with my own mommy issues. Do I really need to deal with a boyfriend's mother as well?

"You ok, baby? You seem tense all of a sudden," Christian whispers in my ear. I look around the table and no one else is paying attention to us.

"I'm fine. Just tired. It's been a busy weekend," I say to him, hoping he'll take the hint and offer to take me home. This is why I like to drive myself to places. If I had my own car here, I would have left already. I cringe at the thought of my heap of junk parked next to all the luxury cars in the driveway.

What the hell are you doing here, Ana? I don't belong. I've never been to the Hamptons and I certainly have never been to Switzerland. Hell, I don't even have a passport. Suddenly, I miss Jose. I need to tell him what happened here today and hear his advice. He has a way of taking what I perceive to be a complicated situation and simplifying it.

"Are you ready to head out? You're coming home with me, right?" He asks. We hadn't talked about me spending another night. As much as I want to spend the night in his arms, I can't. Not tonight. Tonight, I need to talk to my best friend.

"I'd love that, but I have work early in the morning and I still haven't packed a thing."

"Are you sure you're ok? Did my mother say something to upset you? You seem off."

"Just typical stuff you'd expect when meeting your boyfriend's mother for the first time. At least what I assume to be typical. I've never done this before."

"It's a first for me, too, but I just love the fact that you're here with me," he says before kissing the tip of my nose. I lay my head on his shoulder, just enjoying the closeness.

"When you finally bring a girl home, you pick a good one, son," Christian's grandfather says to me before winking at me. "If I was just twenty years younger, you'd have some competition on your hands," he says.

"Dad!" Grace says horrified.

"Oh, please. Twenty years ago you were fifty. You think this pretty young thing would want you and your liver spots?" Grandpa's response is to kiss his wife loudly on the cheek. She laughs and kisses him back.

"If something was wrong, you'd tell me, right? I want you to be comfortable here."

Suddenly everyone at the table laughs at something Elliot just said. For the first time, Grace has a genuine smile on her face. I look at Christian and he only has eyes for me.

"Everything's great. I love being here with you," I say. And it's not a lie. I do love being with him, and his family, with the exception of just one person, is amazing. And we're only just starting to date. Our relationship is far from anything serious, so what are the odds I'll see his mother on a regular basis, or even again? It's not like we're going to get married or anything like that.

I take a deep breath and pat myself on the back for talking myself off the ledge.

"Cupcakes!" EJ screams out as he points to what looks like a dessert table being set up.

* * *

Christian reluctantly has Sawyer drive me home. He kisses me for what seems like forever before he walks me to the door. He tells me not to pack a thing and he would have it all taken care of. I remember his words.

"I'm pretty sure helping you move is my job as your boyfriend. Someone will call you to make arrangements. You and Jose don't have to lift a finger."

Before I could tell him he didn't have to do that, he kissed me so deep that I lost my train of thought.

I see him to the door, where he kisses me again. Once he leaves, I make my way to my BFF.

 **A/N: Grace, Grace, Grace. Nothing else to say about her. Up next is the wedding of Gail and Taylor. Thank you all for reading and reviewing. Until Laters.**


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

ALL CREDIT TO ELJ

CHRISTIAN

"So, thankfully it was a mini stroke. He still has some numbness on the right side of his body and difficulty talking and walking, but the rehab seems to be helping. His doctors had recommended inpatient treatment, but mom wouldn't hear of it, so he's at home. He has twenty four hour nurses and the physical therapist comes every day. He's looking much better. As a matter of fact…," Ros goes on and on about her father, his stroke, and treatment.

She got back about two days ago, but we've both been so busy that this is the first chance we've had to catch up.

Ros is an incredible COO, and a great friend. I am not. I'm the worst friend because I'm only half listening to what she's saying about her father. And I care about what she's saying. I swear I do, but I'm distracted.

I'm distracted by the most beautiful sight in my office, and it's not Ros. She's just a few feet away, setting up for our breakfast meeting that's going to start in a few minutes.

Ros was already here when she walked in. She gave me a secret little smile, and I devoured her with my eyes. In my mind, I fucked her right her against my office door. I put my hand over her mouth to silence her as I mercilessly pounded into her. She came in two minutes, with me not far behind her. In my mind. In my fantasy, because in reality, she's still holding on to her virginity and my balls are so blue, they are about to burst.

She just finished setting up the muffins, fruit, breakfast sandwiches and coffee, and she bent down to pick up creamer from her little food trolley, giving me a clear view of her ass.

I inhale and close my eyes, thinking of how I just want to walk over there and bite her on the ass. Hard.

"Christian?" Ros asks.

"Huh?"

"Did you just moan?" She asks.

"What?"

"Did you just fucking moan?"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, Ros."

Ros looks at me confused and then she turns around and sees Ana. She was still bending and now Ros was getting a view of that ass, which pissed me off. Ros loves ass as much as I do.

Ros turns back to me wide eyed. She looks from me and back to Ana, who is thankfully standing straight again, but that ass is still calling me. And those lips. And those eyes I can just drown in. And those perfect tits that are just begging to be fucked.

"Are you kidding me? You just moaned again!" Ros says to be. I can see the confused look on her face as she continues to look from me to Ana.

"How long has it been since you've gotten some?" She asks. She has no idea that I am the proud owner of a girlfriend now. Well, maybe not owner. I better not say that out loud to anybody.

"It's been almost nine months," I say. I typically wouldn't answer that question, but Ros caught me in a good mood.

"Well, you need to find yourself somebody and stop undressing that girl with your eyes. We're just getting back on our feet. We don't need a sexual harassment suit as well."

"I'm not worried about it," I say. And to prove my point, I smile at her.

"Well, I am. So, whatever you need to do to get laid, do it. And whoever you choose, make sure she's discreet."

"Oh, I'm going to get laid alright," I say to her. Just then, the light of my life turns around and looks at me. I wink at her and she giggles.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Grey. Stop winking at her."

"Shut up, Ros," I say to her. I decide to put her out of her misery, and I get up from my desk. I walk to where Ana is.

Her back is against the wall as she watches me approach. I get close to her and put both hands against the wall next to her, boxing her in. I lean down and give her a kiss. Since Ros is here, I only meant for it to be a chaste kiss, but as soon as lips touched, she opened her mouth for me. I had no choice but to go in.

I don't know how long we kiss, but Ros clears her throat and I reluctantly move away.

Ros is looking at me with her mouth wide open.

"Ros, allow me to introduce you to my girlfriend, Anastasia Steele," I say to her.

"Your what?" Like she's on autopilot, she walks over to Ana and shakes her hand.

"Baby, this is my COO, Rosalyn Bailey. Remember I told you about her?"

Ana extends her hand to Ros, but Ros pushes her hand away and engulfs her in a bear hug. She even manages to kiss Ana on each cheek before I drag my girl away from her.

"Is this for real? This is why you were staring at her ass while I was talking to you about my dad? Oh my god! I'm so happy for you guys. I'll leave you two alone. I'll stand guard outside until our meeting starts. I won't let anyone in until Ana comes out. Oh my god, I'm so happy." And with that she leaves my office.

"Come here, Ms. Steele. It looks like everyone is just crazy about you," I say to her and I pull her to me. I hold her against my body, and I put both hands on her ass, pulling her into my growing hard on. I then lean down and kiss her hard. Really hard. I punish her lips. I know they are going to be bruised after this kiss. This is a kiss telling her how much I want to possess all of her.

"I only care about you being crazy about me, Christian Grey," she says against my mouth. I take her bottom lip between my teeth and gently bite and pull.

"I'm beyond crazy about you. I'm totally insane over you even though you refuse to come home with me tonight."

"I'm coming home with you tomorrow," I tell him.

Tomorrow is Thursday, and Gail and her immediate circle are going to the spa all day on Friday, while the men go golfing. Seeing as though they've both been married before, Gail and Taylor opted not to do the bachelor/bachelorette party thing. After golfing, the men will come to my place for poker and the ladies will have a sleepover at Gail's, which means Ana won't be in my bed on Friday night. I won't have that tight little ass pressed up against my dick.

I don't know if that's a blessing or a curse, because I want her so bad. I know I told her she could decide when, but I'm slowly dying from lust. I'll have to take matters into my own hands this weekend. Maybe I'll accidentally come out of the bathroom naked after my shower. I know she likes my body and every romantic comedy Mia has forced me to watch tells me that women like when men are shirtless and wet. Maybe that will get _her_ wet.

"Yes, you are. In fact, you should just head on over there right after work tomorrow. I'm sure Gail would love your company, or you can just wait for me at home."

"Your house? I guess I can do that, even though you know I don't really like your house that much," she jokes.

"I'll knock it down and rebuild it just the way you like it." She laughs, but I'm serious. I slap her ass hard and she gives me a look of shock. She grabs my collar and pulls me down for a quick kiss.

"Gotta go," she says before walking out of my office.

Just as she promised, Ros is holding the other executives at bay. They look to me and then to Ana before the start to filter in. Ros grabs Ana and hugs her one more time before she comes into my office.

After Ana presses the button for the elevator, she turns around to find me still standing at the door looking at her. I wink at her and she blows me a kiss before the elevator finally arrives.

I almost find myself doing that thing they do in movies when the guy pretends to catch the kiss in his hand. I'm tempted, but then I remember I have a room full of executives waiting on me and I don't need to look like a lovesick fool, but I still can't help the smile on my face.

When the elevator door closes, and I finally turn around to start the meeting, everyone is giving me curious looks. Everyone except Ros, whose smile happens to be bigger than mine.

* * *

This right here is heaven. I'm in heaven, but only if you can have blue balls in heaven. Ana's warm back is pressed against my chest with my arm thrown around her, holding her as close to me as possible. I can tell from her breathing that she's not awake yet. Thank goodness because my cock is like a piece of steel pressed up against her plump ass. I remember her little mini freak out the last time that happened. As much as I want to cup her breast and squeeze her nipple, I hold off.

Soon.

Patience, Grey. Patience.

Instead of going for her boob, I move her hair to the side and lay a soft kiss on the back of her neck. She moans softly and pushes her ass into my dick, making me even harder. I pull her closer and just lay there, inhaling her scent.

I think back to your impromptu dinner last night.

" _So, your grandmother was serious when she invited me to dinner? And she wants us to go tonight?" She asks again, even though we were already in the car to my grandparents' house._

 _Grandmother had called me right as I was about to leave the office to pick Ana up at her apartment. She ended up going home to pack a bag for the weekend, and I offered to pick her up._

 _Grandma Addy insisted on us coming to dinner and reminded me of her failing health, so I had no choice._

" _Yes. Tonight. She just wants to get you over there. She really likes you," I tell her. And it's true. Grandma is a friendly person, but she doesn't just invite anyone into her home after meeting them one time._

" _And no one else will be there? Just the four of us? No Elliot or EJ?"_

" _Nope. She said she didn't want anyone else monopolizing you."_

 _She looked out the window then and she bit her lip, looking nervous and unsure of herself. I take her chin and force her to look at me._

" _So, your parents won't be there? Your mom?"_

" _Just the four of us. Relax, Ana. She already knows and likes you. What's the matter?"_

" _What if she just wants me over there to find something wrong with me. Maybe she just wants to be a spy for your mother."_

" _What are you talking about? Grandma is not like that, so relax."_

 _Grandma as a spy for my mother? Why would she say that?_

 _I think back to the barbeque on Sunday. The only time I can think of when Ana was alone with my mother was when they went to get bathing suits in Mia's room. They weren't gone too long, but now I recall that Ana was tense and off when she got back._

" _Baby, did my mother say or do anything to upset you on Sunday?"_

" _You think I look ok?"_

 _We speak at the same time, and we both laugh. I look her over, and she's wearing the same pink top she wore to Gail's shower, but instead of the short mini skirt, she's wearing a pair of skinny white jeans._

" _You look like you always do. Beautiful."_

 _I see her eyes soften and the anxiety drain from her face. She grabs my collar and pulls me in for a kiss. She means to give me a chaste kiss, but I manage to get her to open her mouth. As soon as she does, I attack her with my tongue and kiss her as if my life depended on it._

 _We're both panting by the time I realize that the car has come to a stop._

 _Sawyer opens my door and I slide out, with Ana following behind me. I offer her my hand, and as soon as we start to walk to the door, my grandmother opens the door and walks to us. She ignores me completely as she takes Ana into a hug. She hooks her arm through Ana's and I follow them into the house._

 _It was a great evening. Grandmother showed Ana pictures of me as a kid over appetizers. Grandfather flirted with Ana the entire night and bickered with my grandma._

 _Ana even helped grandma cook our dinner of salmon and mashed potatoes. It was surreal to see Ana in my grandmother's kitchen wearing an apron and cooking. I think it was the most beautiful sight I've ever seen._

" _She's a good one, son. Listen to this old man. This is one you better keep." Those are the words my grandfather whispered to me as the women talked and laughed together in the kitchen._

Her question about who else would be at my grandparent's house for dinner reminded me that she also asked if anyone in my family would be at Gail and Taylor's wedding.

I remember how relieved she was when I told her that Elliot is the only family member attending, and that my parents had already committed to going to another wedding on that day.

I need to find out what the fuck happened in that window of time when she was alone with Grace.

I feel her breathing change.

She's awake.

She takes my hand from round her waist and puts it on her breast. Happy to be given the invitation, I immediately start to knead her pert little breast. When she starts to moan, I pinch her nipple. Hard.

I leave wet, opened mouthed kisses on her neck and bite her shoulder.

"Mhhhmm," I hear her say. I press my erection into her and grind into her ass.

"Christian," she sighs. The sound of my name on her tongue fuels my desire for her even more.

"Yes, Ana? Do you want something?" I tease as I press my dick into her ass.

"Stop teasing me. What time is it?" She whispers.

"Almost ten," I tell her. It still boggles my mind that I stayed in bed until ten am on a Friday. A god damn workday and I'm still in bed with my arm wrapped around a woman. Not just any woman. My woman.

"Seriously?" She pushes my hand away and jumps out of the bed. "We're supposed to be at Gail's at ten for brunch, and you guys have to hit the golf course." She runs and grabs her overnight bag and pulls out some clothes before running into the bathroom.

I reluctantly get up. I walk into the bathroom without knocking to find her brushing her teeth. I've never done this before. I've never shared a bathroom with anyone for as long as I can remember, especially not a woman, but there's something nice about brushing our teeth side by side.

I watch in fascination as she washes her face and wipes it with a towel. She tosses the towel on the sink and starts to walk towards the door. I grab her hand and pull her to me.

"Good morning," I say before I kiss her senseless. By the time I break the kiss, her face is flushed, and her pupils are dilated.

"Good morning," she pants. I slap her ass as we walk out of the bathroom and get dressed for the day.

"You like doing that, don't you?" She teases.

"I'm just reminding you of what's in store for you, Ms. Steele."

"You wish, Christian Grey."

I dress quickly in a pair of khakis and a blue golf shirt. I watch as Ana puts on a dress, but it's not one of the ones I got her. This one seems to be old as it's a bit faded to a dull lifeless shade of pink, but I don't say anything. She still looks beautiful.

I guess she must disagree, because she walks into the closet and picks out something I got her. This is a hot pink dress that reaches to right above her knees. She quickly finds shoes and I watch as she runs to the bathroom to fix her hair and apply some makeup.

"Ready?" She asks once she leaves the bathroom.

"Ready," I say as I take her hand and walk out of the bedroom.

Our fingers remained intertwined all the way to Gail's house for breakfast. When we arrive, the house is filled with people. I notice that all the women are wearing pink, and I'm thankful that the men weren't given a dress code.

When Gail and Taylor see us approach holding hands, they give each other a knowing look, and Gail nearly knocks Ana over as she hugs her.

"I'm so happy, boss," Gail says. "But, I'm going to take Ana now. We'll see you guys later for dinner." Gail tries to pull Ana away, but I give her a quick kiss before she leaves my side.

* * *

"I'm going to fire your ass, Taylor, but not before I kick your ass," I say to him as we make our way back home.

"You're a natural," he says. "And you can never kick my ass. That's why you hired me."

The fucker is right.

"You know I hate guns, so you take me to a shooting range. For that matter, you know I hate golf too. Thanks a lot."

The asshole took all the men to a shooting range before spending hours on a golf course. I texted Ana only to be told by Taylor that Gail made all the ladies leave their phones behind. Now I have no choice but to fire Gail as well.

"Relax. You'll see Ana in a few minutes. I'm pretty sure the girls are back home."

"I'm going to kick you ass at poker tonight," is the last thing I say to him before ignoring him for the rest of the ride home.

Dinner is actually going to be at my house, in the formal dining room. I run up to shower and change. By the time I get back downstairs, the women have arrived. I follow the noise and laughter. When I walk in, I see Ana standing with Gail, Gail's sister, Susan, and some good looking tall fucker. He wasn't out golfing with us, so I have no idea who he is. I make my way over there and take Ana's hand.

When she sees me, her face lights up with a smile and she quickly jumps into my arms for a hug. I make sure to kiss in front of the tall asshole.

Gail introduces me to her nephew, Byron, a college junior. Even though he's a few years younger than Ana, that good looking asshole is the last person I want her around. After shaking Byron's hand, I pull Ana out of the dining room.

"I missed you," I say to her as I push her up against the wall outside of the dining room.

"I missed you, too," she says before kissing me.

"I hate that we're going to be sleeping apart tonight. I just got you in my bed. Well, sort of," I joke.

"Me, too," she says. As soon as she says that, I feel a vibration. She pulls her phone out of her pocket, and she rolls her eyes when she sees who it is.

"That's Jose. He's been pestering me. He's my date for the wedding," she says, biting her lip.

"I'm your date, baby," I say.

"Well, he was my plus one before we happened. We're trying to coordinate things for tomorrow."

I let out a breath.

"Tell him I'm going to have Sawyer come pick him up right now. Tell him to bring his things. He can stay the night."

"Really? He's going to die when he finds out."

"Really. He's important to you, so I want to get to know him," I say to her. The smile and the hug are reward enough, but the kiss she gives me is great too.

"I think you're the best boyfriend I've ever had," she says playfully, while running a hand through my hair.

Is it too soon to tell her that I'm not only the best boyfriend she's ever had, but I'm also the only boyfriend she'll ever have? Probably.

* * *

ANA

"Gurrrrrrl! Did I tell you the room I stayed in is better than any house I've ever been in? And it's not a room. It's a damn suite. A suite, Ana. And the bed was like sleeping on clouds. There was a housekeeper this morning and she offered to make me any breakfast I wanted. I asked for crepes, and she made me crepes. I never even had fucking crepes before. And the poker game last night! I almost died. Well, I learned quickly that I don't know shit when it comes to playing poker. G-Money made me just sit next to him and I watched him play. And how come you never told me how good he smells? And that bodyguard is fine, gurl. He was in a tank top and he's ripped. That Gail is one lucky chick. And Elliot showed up for poker and he and his brother got so competitive. I tried to get them both to take off their shirts, but they just told me to shut up. G-Money won it all at the end. The man has one hell of a poker face. Ana, when you finally get yourself a man, you really get one. Please take the man out of his misery and fuck him this weekend. At least give him a blow job." Finally, he shuts up and takes a breath.

"Shut up, Jose. We're in a damn church," I whisper, looking around to make sure no one heard. Christian is actually the one walking Gail down the aisle, so I'm sitting in the church with Jose as guests are slowing filtering in.

"And that dress is way better than the one we picked out," Jose says of the pink fit and flair dress that was waiting for me. Gail's obsession with pink continues. She only has her sister as a maid of honor, so she requested that all her female family members and friends wear pink.

When I saw the dress at Gail's, she confessed that "boss" had her pick it out so my dress can match his tie.

"And you weren't lying about that house. We went swimming after poker, and at least I saw Elliot without his shirt on. G-Money kept on a tee shirt. I'm all about this life, Ana. Don't fuck it up for us," he says.

"Us?"

"Yes. Us."

I shake my head at my BFF as I wait for the wedding to start.

"All kidding aside, Ana, you look really happy. The man is nuts about you."

"You think so?" I ask. I can feel that he cares about me but hearing it from someone else helps.

"Hells yes. He's gaga. And remember what I told you the other night, forget about Dr. Bitch. From what you told me, their issues aren't about you, but let me tell you. If Dr. Bitch opens her mouth to say one more thing to you, my size elevens are going to go right up her rich ass. You need to listen to me and tell him. He's going to be pissed if he finds out some other way."

"And how else is he going to find out? You're the only other person who knows."

"Don't worry. I won't say anything, but you really need to tell him."

"I will, but not this weekend. I don't want to burst our bubble. And our relationship is brand new. There probably won't be many occasions to be around his mother," I whisper. I wish that's the case.

"Ana, he took you around his entire family five minutes into your relationship. The man is all in. You're going to every damn family dinner from now on. And it's August, Ana. Do you know what around the corner? The damn holidays. How many damn Christmas parties do you think the Greys are invited to? Dozens. You're going to see his mother again soon, and he needs to know so Dr. Bitch can be put in her place. But listen to me, you have the upper hand. As long as you fuck his brains out, he'll disown his mama if she can't act right. Pussy is power, girl. It's time you tap into your power." With that he gives me nod.

"We're in a church, Jose!"

"So? Preachers fuck too," he says with a laugh. I can't help myself and laugh right along with him.

"I'm telling you, Dr. Bitch probably just needs-,"

"Shhh! Here comes Elliot and Mia. Shut up!" I whisper.

Elliot comes in with Mia, and they sit behind us. Elliot greets Jose, and I introduce him to Mia. I admire Mia in her short black dress, and her high strappy sandals. She's pure class from her dress, to the loose messy bun on her head.

After several more minutes, the wedding processional starts. Taylor is standing at the altar looking so handsome in his gray suit and pink bow tie. I watch as Gail's sister, Susan, walks down the aisle in a Greek goddess style pink gown.

Then the most handsome man I've ever seen is walking down the aisle with the bride.

* * *

"You came to Gail and Taylor's wedding with our sister, Elliot? Are you two dating now?" Christian asks his siblings with a smile on his face as he grabs a glass of champagne from the passing server. As soon as the ceremony ended, we came directly to Christian's house to enjoy cocktail hour.

Christian's meadow is tastefully decorated. The tables all have pink tablecloths covered with the most elaborate arrangements of pink roses that I've ever seen, all under a giant tent. There's an open bar, and appetizers and champagne are being passed around while the bride and groom take pictures.

"Ha, Christian. The irony isn't lost on me that you're the only Grey kid in a relationship. Life's just not fair sometimes. Ana, when you're sick of him and want a real man, you know where to find me," Elliot says to me with a wink.

I can see Christian's eyes darken as he takes a step towards his brother. Mia steps between them and punches Elliot in the arm.

"Christian, he's only kidding. Elliot, stop being an ass."

"I'm just kidding with you, bro. I brought Mia for a reason. I'm going to cozy up to some woman here and mention how I'm here with my poor, lonely sister. A woman hears that, and she thinks I'm this nice guy who loves his sister. Then bam, her panties come off."

Mia huffs and rolls her eyes. I laugh and Christian spits out some of his champagne.

"He's definitely the dumbest Grey," Mia says.

"What's so funny?" Jose asks as he comes and stands next to me.

"Just Elliot being an idiot. I need something strong than champagne. Come to the bar with me, Jose," Mia says. Mia puts her arm through Jose's and they walk to the bar together.

Christian puts his hand around my waist and nuzzles my neck.

"I'm sick of watching you two. Let operation get Elliot Grey laid begin," Elliot says as he walks away from us.

"You look so handsome in this pink tie," I say to him as I reach for the tie. I see him tense up, but he relaxes as soon as I grab the tie.

"We match," he says.

"I know. It's almost like we're going to prom," I joke.

"I definitely would have taken you to prom," he says to me.

"Ew, perv. You're six years older than me. I was only in the sixth grade when you went to your senior prom."

"Well, I didn't say I was taking you to _my_ prom. I'd take you to yours."

"Um, no. No senior citizens at my prom, thank you very much."

He sets his champagne glass down and pulls me to him.

"I'll show you senior citizen," he says as he starts to tickle me. I laugh uncontrollably until I wiggle free of him, but he reaches for me and pulls me to him again. He just holds me this time. I lay my head on his chest and just feel him against me.

"Let's go find our table. Gail and Taylor should be here soon."

* * *

"This wedding was so beautiful. I think it's the best wedding I've ever been to," I say to Christian as we dance to Adele's Make You Feel My Love.

"I can't wait to get out of here and get you alone. We went to the ceremony. We endured speeches, dinner cake cutting and dancing. I've had enough, and I want you all to myself. Did I tell you how beautiful you look today? You look beautiful every day, but even more so today," he says to me I put my head on his chest as we continue to sway together in perfect rhythm.

Once again, I'm amazed at this man, who is nothing like I had imagined. The nervousness that I felt around him has slowly disappeared, and has been replaced with lust and longing, but most of all, adoration.

"Looks like you're going to get your wish," I say as Gail and Jason approach us. Gail pulls me into a hug and Jason and Christian shake hands. Gail's just glowing in her ivory gown.

"We did it, boss," Gail beams as she holds Jason's hand.

"You sure did. Taylor is one lucky bastard. I'm not sure you made out so great, though, Gail," Christian jokes.

"Funny, boss," Jason says as he smiles at us. "Just make sure you don't get yourself in trouble for the next two weeks while we're gone."

"Ana's got it," he says.

"Come here, you two," Gail says as she hugs both of us. "I'm so happy for you guys." Gail kisses my cheek.

"Gail, we should be saying that to you," I say to her.

She then hands me her bouquet before she and Taylor say their final goodbyes and leaves before I can even say thank you.

"You want to dance some more?" He asks as Whitney Houston starts to sing Miracle.

I wrap my arms around his neck.

"As much as I love this song, I think I want to be alone with you. I want to be with you, Christian."

When he hears those words, he turns to look me in the eyes, trying to determine my meaning.

"Are you saying-,"

"I'm saying I'm ready," I say locking eyes with him, imploring him to understand my meaning. He leans down, kisses my lips, take my hand and leads me back to the house and into his bedroom.

"Are we going to need condoms?" He asks as we walk through the door.

"I'm on the pill," I say. I can feel the blush on my face. His only response to me is a silent nod.

The minute he closes the door, his lips are on mine. I don't know how he does it, but he manages to remove his tie and unzip my dress without breaking the kiss. I kick off my shoes before stepping out of the dress.

He leaves my lips only to kiss my eyes, cheeks and neck. As his lips continue to roam my neck, I manage to move back a few steps and out of his reach, but that only last so long because he takes a step and he's back in front of me, reaching for my lips.

"I need to shower first," I say quickly, but not before he reaches for me, pulls me to him and starts to kiss the side of my throat. His hands find my ass, and he pulls me to him.

"No, you don't," he mumbles.

"I do. I want to freshen up for you."

"I don't care if you're not fresh. I just want you so fucking bad."

"I care, Christian. Please," I say. He pulls away, but I see how his eyes roam my body as I stand before him in my nude color strapless bra and matching thongs.

"Of course. Whatever you want, baby. How about we take a bath?"

I nod, and he leads me to the bathroom. As soon as we step in, he grabs his phone from his pocket and texts something. He then locks the door, and he turns on the water. When he returns to me, he unfastens my bra and lets it drop. Although he's touched my breasts before, this is the first time he's seeing them. He licks his lips as his hands sweep across them, grazing my nipples, which harden against his touch.

Next, he pulls down my thong, pulling it past my knees until I'm able to kick them off. I stand in front of him as his eyes rake over my naked body. I thought I would be shy or embarrassed to see my naked, but they way he looks at me with so much want, makes me feel so sexy and desirable. I stand there as he takes me in.

"Beautiful. Better than I could have ever imagined," he says.

Feeling emboldened, I step closer to him and reach for his shirt. He grabs my hands and shakes his head at me. The rejection stings, but I lower my hands and grab for his belt as he unbuttons his shirt himself. His shirt and tee shirt are off in seconds. Once I get the belt unbuckled, I pull down his pants and boxers in one swoop.

I've seen his torso before, but I take a second to admire it again, wishing I could touch him. My eyes move lower, and I see his cock for the first time. It's hard and pointing directly at me. It's bigger than I thought, and that frightens me. I let out a small gasp before I look up at him. His gray eyes are almost completely black now.

"Touch me," he orders me. I can see the longing in his eyes.

I reach out and touch him, marveling at how something can be so hard and yet so smooth at the same time. I begin to stroke it, flicking my thumb across the tip. He takes my hand and moves it away. I lick my lips, wondering how he would taste.

"Bad idea. I don't want this to be over too quickly, and it will be if you continue to do that. Come on."

He leads me to the tub and helps me in. He follows and sits behind me, pulling me between his legs. He grabs a washcloth and washes my entire body. When he gets to between my legs, I open for him. I lean back into his body as he washes me, as his lips roam my neck.

I hear his phone ding with an incoming text message, which he doesn't even bother to check.

"You ready to get out?" He asks. My desire for him is so strong that I can only nod my head in response.

To my disappointment, he wraps a towel around his waist, preventing me from looking at him further. He then dries my entire body and leads me to back to the bedroom.

When I see the room, I realized why he locked the door to the bathroom. The bedroom is filled with candles and the smell of vanilla overwhelms my senses. There's a bottle of what I assume to be champagne chilling by the bed, and soft acoustic music is playing. The French doors to the patio is open and I can feel the cool breeze from outside.

He leads me to the bed where he lays me on my stomach and massages my entire body. He rubs oil on my back, buttocks and legs. He turns me over and does the same to the front of my body, but he leaves my breasts oil free.

"God, you're beautiful," he says while looking over my body. "Your skin is like silk. And I like this," he says as he grazes his knuckles over my bare pussy. I give myself a mental pat on the back for getting a wax yesterday at the spa.

He drops the towel from around his waist, and he joins me on the bed. Instead of getting on top of me, we both lay on our side and look at each other. I reach over and run my thumb over his lips. He grabs my hand and presses a gentle kiss on my thumb.

I can't take it anymore, so I scoot as close to him as possible, and put my lips to his.

Heat takes over my entire body as we deepen the kiss. I stick both hands in his hair as we taste and tease each other. The kiss gets deeper and wetter with each passing second. I throw my leg over his body, and I feel his dick pressing against my core. I rub myself against him and he lets out a loud moan against my mouth.

I move away from him, without breaking the kiss, so that I can take his dick in my hands. I stroke it softly, marveling of the feel of it. It feels like velvet in my hands.

"Baby," he says reverently as he strokes my cheek with the back of his hand.

He pushes me onto my back and climbs on top of me.

As soon as he gets me in that position, he worships my body. He attacks my breasts, sucking, pulling and biting my nipples with his teeth.

"Christian," I whisper.

He continues down my body, kissing my stomach and navel. When he arrives at my sex, he pushes my legs apart. I get on my elbows and watch as he looks at me spread out for him. From where I sit, I can see how much his body wants me. I get this sense of confidence and spread my legs wider for him.

I bite my lip as he looks up at me.

"I can't wait to taste you," he says, but instead of putting his head between my legs, he strokes me with his fingers. I throw my head back and moan at the sensation. He does it again and again, and I feel the moisture pool between my legs. He sticks one finger inside of me, followed by another.

"Oh my god," I yelp. "Yes."

Then he goes for it. He finally takes my pussy into his mouth. He sucks, licks and bites. I moan, I speak incoherently, but most of all, I lose myself in the feel of him. When he finally bites down gently on my clit, I feel my entire body tense. I stick my hands in his hair pulling it as hard as I can as I cum on his mouth and face.

Before I can come down from my orgasm, he lays his entire body on mine. He kisses me then. Hard.

"Do you know how long I've wanted you?" He asks as he leaves my mouth and attacks my neck.

I'm so lost in the feel of him, I can only whimper in response.

"Ever since that last day of March when I saw you at that counter. It was like I had no choice. I walked over there. I walked to you. Then I saw your blue eyes and I was lost. Every waking moment since then has been filled with nothing but you. And now, here you are. And I'm not letting you go, Ana. You were mine since that day."

He kisses my mouth again and aligns himself at my opening. He intertwines our fingers and locks eyes with me. I can feel my heart beating and the blood pounding in my ears.

"I'm going to make love to you, Ana. You don't ever have to be afraid. I'm going to fuck you so good, you're going to start craving me as much as I've craved you these past few months."

He pushes the tip of his dick inside of me, and I let out a soft wail at the invasion. I open my legs some more. I was expecting him to go in inch by inch, but he surprises me by pushing himself all the way inside in one long thrust.

"Fuck!" I yell out at the pain.

"I'm sorry, baby. You're so tight."

"Don't move," I groan. He stills as he watches my face. I wince as the intrusion and feel my stomach muscles tense as I squirm underneath him.

"Relax, baby." he whispers in my ear, kissing my ear and biting my earlobe. I take his advice and I relax. I sink into the mattress and feel him inside of me. The pain ebbs and I tell him he can move.

"Slowly, though," I say.

He slowly starts to move in and out of me. It's painful, but I close my eyes and allow him to continue, willing my body to adjust to his size. Soon, the pain is gone and start to feel the pleasure of having him inside of me.

I lose myself to the feel of him inside of me, so hard and wanting. All of the pain I initially felt is now gone, and I can only feel pleasure. He peppers the crook of my neck with kisses as he slowly moves inside of me.

"You're so beautiful. I want you so much, Ana. So, so much," he whispers against my neck. His words fuel my passion.

"I want you, too. I have for a long time," I say to him. I want so much to touch his entire body, but I know I can't, so I put my hands on his ass as he thrusts slowly.

"Faster," I say.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! Faster." He picks up the pace immediately. My nipples get harder, my pussy wetter, and my heart beats faster. I close my eyes and lose myself touch, feel and smell of this man.

"Ana," he whispers as he continues to make love to me. I wrap my legs around him in my attempt to get even closer to him. I feel the same sensation as earlier start to build, but this time it'd deeper, more intense and coming from a place I didn't know I possessed.

I dig my fingernails into his ass as he sinks into me one over and over again. After one particularly deep thrust, goosebumps take over my entire body as I climax around him. I move my hands into his hair and pull his face closer into my neck. I hold on to him as I lose all control of my body and convulse around him.

"Christian. Christian. Christian. Oh, god!" I say softly.

I'm still coming down from my high as I hear him yell out my name and spasm on top of me. Feeling him become undone on top of me, sends me into a tailspin. I grab his face and smash my mouth to his, kissing him deeply, longingly, tasting myself on his tongue.

"Wow," is all I can manage to say as he rolls off me. We both turn on our side, looking at each other, our bodies slick with sweat as we try to catch our breath.

I reach out, and just like I did before, I run my thumb against his bottom lip. And just like before, he presses a soft kiss on my thumb.

"Amazing," I whisper.

"Amazed," he responds.

 **A/N: Ana is a virgin no longer! Pop champagne! Thank you all for reading and reviewing**.


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

ALL CREDIT TO ELJ

CHRISTIAN

The damn buzzing just won't stop. I reach over to Ana's side of the bed only to find it empty.

Her phone buzzes again.

I reach for it and see it's Jose calling.

"Hello," I say before I let out a loud yawn.

"G-Money?" I take a deep breath as I stretch.

"It's Christian, Jose. And what other man would be answering Ana's phone?"

"Well, excuse me. I was calling to see if she wanted to have breakfast with me this morning. It was kind of our Sunday tradition."

I look at the clock and see it's past nine thirty.

"No, she won't. We're busy."

"Are you guys naked?"

"Good bye, Jose," I say as I end the call.

I yawn again and stretch my naked body out on the bed as I think of last night, the most incredible night of lovemaking I've ever had. It's been years since I've been with a woman outside of a BDSM scene, but last night was more than I ever could have imagined. Seeing Ana laid out for me, wet and wanting, was the most erotic experience of my life. Touching her, tasting her and finally being inside of her has left me fulfilled and sated in a way I've never been before.

Wanting to be with her, I hop out of bed and take in my messy room. The down comforter and most of the pillows are on the floor, and the sheets are a twisted mess. There's are two empty bottles of champagne on the floor as well. Both champagne glasses are on my nightstand, and there's an empty fruit platter on Ana's nightstand from when we got hungry in the middle of the night, along with a bowl of melted ice cream. I make a mental note to stock up on more ice cream.

I march my naked body into the bathroom and look at my reflection. The man looking back at me is smug in his satisfaction. My hair is a mess from Ana running her hands through it and pulling at it all night. I have love marks on my neck and shoulder, but I don't care. We made love a total of three times last night. My little virgin could not get enough of me and I loved every second of it.

Our clothes from last night are a crumpled mess on the floor, but none of that matters now. I pick up our discarded clothes from last night and throw them on the bed before starting the shower.

After putting on some sweatpants and a tee shirt, I go downstairs to look for my girlfriend.

The sound of familiar music can be heard from the kitchen, and when I reach the kitchen, I'm met with her back and watch as she sings and dances to the song. " _All I need in this life of sin, is me and my boyfriend_." She sings the chorus as she dances around my kitchen.

As soon as I hear Jay Z say all he needs in this life of sin is me and my girlfriend, I approach. I rest my hands on her hips as we dance while she's wearing nothing but tiny boy shorts and a tank top. I can see how hard her nipples are, and I know she can feel my hard dick pressed on her ass.

When she turns around to face me, I see the want in her eyes, and I get even harder. I pull her to me as we continue to dance, pressing my hard dick into her pussy. When she starts to sing again, her words nearly bring me to my knees.

 _If I was your girlfriend_  
 _I'll be there for you if somebody hurts you_  
 _Even if the somebody was me_

 _Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be_  
 _And so I put this on my life_  
 _Nobody or nothing will ever come between us_  
 _And I promise I'll give my life_  
 _My love and my trust if you was my boyfriend_  
 _Put this on my life_  
 _The air that I breathe in, all that I believe in_  
 _I promise I'll give my life_  
 _My love and my trust if you was my boyfriend_

"I am your boyfriend. And I told you last night that I'm never letting you go," I say to her as the song ends. She wraps her arms around my neck, and she sticks her hands in my hair. As much as I love her hands in my hair, I know she only does this to prevent herself from accidentally touching my back or chest. For the first time in my life, I feel like I really need to get over my touch issues because when I look into the blue eyes of the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, all I want is for her to touch me everywhere.

"Well then, I guess you're all I need in this life of sin, boyfriend." Her eyes are focused on my lips. I slowly inch closer and closer, until I'm close enough to capture her mouth into a deep kiss. Keeping the playful mood, I dip her before tickling her neck with my mouth.

I stand her up, but I keep her locked in my arms.

"So, last night, I had the most amazing night with the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, but when I woke up this morning, she was gone. I woke up naked and alone. Can you tell me what happened to her?"

She pushes herself out of my arms and runs her fingers through her messy head of hair.

"Well, I woke up and you were sleeping so peacefully, and I got hungry. I figured you'd be hungry too, and I was going to bring you breakfast in bed like you did for me that time. Then I got to thinking that I should probably ask you before I go rummaging through your kitchen, but then I thought you probably wouldn't mind. I started looking for stuff to make you an omelet, then this song came on. And now I'm just going to-"

"Breathe, baby. Breathe. Take a deep breath." To my shock, she does just that.

"First rule of the house. You, Anastasia Rose Steele, can do whatever the hell you want here. You can come and go as you please. You can even paint the walls in purple polka dots for all I care. I want you to be comfortable here. Actually, that's the only rule of the house when it comes to you," I tell her.

"Really?"

"Really."

"So, last night was okay for you then?" She asks shyly, biting that damn lip. I lean down and bite that lip too.

"Last night was the most amazing night of my life. It was my favorite night ever, with my favorite girl ever."

"And you were satisfied with what we did?"

I know what she's getting at.

"It was the most satisfying, fulfilling and sensual night of my life, Ana. Nothing and no one even comes close."

"And you weren't bored?"

"Nope. Not even a little bit."

"But what about-,"

"Shhh, baby. Last night exceeded my expectations. It was perfect. You are perfect. And I know what you're getting at. I wouldn't change a thing about us. Not a thing."

I see her relax and she throws her arms around me, hugging me tightly.

"I'm so relieved. Last night was so incredible for me too. I've imagined my first time a million times, but my fantasies didn't even come close to the reality. I really loved being with you last night, Christian."

I close my eyes as I squeeze her tight. I exhale a breath of relief at her words. The fact that we made love three times last night told me that she enjoyed being with me, but hearing the words come out of her mouth sends a thrill through my body.

"Me, too, baby." I kiss the top of her head. "Last night was the best night of my life."

"Mine too," she says while giving me her shy smile.

"So, do you want to help me make breakfast? Or, would you rather make it? I know you said breakfast is your specialty." She steps out of my arms and grabs eggs out of the fridge and sets them next to a bowl. I'm relieved that at least one of us knows their way around this kitchen.

"Why don't you make it? I like seeing you in my kitchen."

That's all the encouragement she needs. I take a seat at the island to watch her. A couple of minutes later, she puts a hot cup of coffee in front of me before leaning over the island and kissing me on the mouth. She then puts bacon on something and puts it in the oven and begins to chop veggies on a cutting board. I can see her profile, and I notice that she has a slight smile on her face. Knowing that I'm responsible for that smile, I get up from my seat and go stand behind her as she continues to chop. I move her hair to the side and kiss the side of her neck.

"Do you want to help me chop?"

"Nope. I just couldn't be away from you for another second." I plant another wet kiss on the side of her neck.

"I never in a million years would have guessed that you're such a romantic."

"I didn't realize it either until you came along." Another kiss.

"But if you keep doing that, I'll never finish, and I'm famished. Go back to your seat."

"You're a bossy little thing," I say to her as I give her one last kiss and go back to my seat at the island. She works quickly, and minutes later, she sets a plate in front of me filled with an omelet and bacon. She then puts a separate bowl filled with fruit in front of me, followed by a fresh cup of coffee before she takes her seat next to me. I lay my hand on her thigh as we eat in silence.

* * *

She squirms in my arms as I kiss her ear, a place I've recently discovered that is very sensitive. I kiss her again, and she tries to squirm, but I'm holding her too tight. Her attempts at squirming only gets waters splashed all over the bathroom floor.

"Now, look at what you've done," I tell her.

"Me? You're the one who filled the tub with too much water."

"I did and now I can't see your tits through all these damn bubbles."

"Perv."

"Mhmmmm. Your perv," I say to her, kissing her ear again.

"You have no idea how much I've been dying to see those tits. And they sure as fuck didn't disappoint," to prove my point, I squeeze them both in my hands. "Every morning, I'd look at them, and they would be so out of my reach. You're like my little siren, calling me to you every morning."

"Your siren, huh? Well at least I haven't led you to your death yet."

"I almost died of blue balls, Ms. Steele."

She chokes on her laughter before craning her neck to look at me.

"I don't think that condition is fatal. And are you telling me that you weren't with anybody all these months you were pining for me?"

"I was not. I haven't been with anybody for about nine months."

"Wow. Why not?"

"I always take a break between subs, then my private life blew up, and then I saw you, and you were all I wanted."

"It's awful what those women did, but you were just amazing. Everyone thought you'd resign, but you didn't. Did you ever consider it?"

"For about five minutes, I did, but I built this company up with my bare hands, and I wasn't going to let anyone take it away from me. I was going to go down fighting. I'm not going to lie. It was hard. Out of everything I've ever done, this is what's always talked about. No matter what I do, or what's written about me, this will always come up. It will always be in the background, but I can't let it control me. I have to live my life."

Once I finish speaking, Ana turns around and is now facing me in the tub. I grab her foot and begin massaging it. She throws her back and moans as I knead her feet.

"So, what do you want to do today?" I ask her.

She looks at me and bites her lip.

"Do you want to do lunch? We can go to my country club," I offer.

She shakes her head at me.

"Um, no. I'm not the country club type, and I want to make us lunch."

"I like the sound of that. How about I take you out for a proper date tonight? I can get reservations somewhere by the marina. We can go for a stroll afterwards."

"Sounds nice, but I have another idea," she says to me. She leaves her side of the tub and comes and sits closer to me, still facing me.

"What's your idea?"

"This," she says as she grabs my cock underneath the water. It was already hard before she touched it, but now with her little hand around it, it's like granite.

"More?" I ask

She nods and moves even closer to me

"More. And more. And more," she says while peppering kisses on my mouth and face. "This thing is going to be broken by the time I'm done with it because while you've been pining for me for all these months, I've spent the same amount of time imagining what you looked like underneath those sinfully sexy suits you wear every day."

"Oh, really? Tell me more."

"I've pictured you naked hundreds of times, but my imagination did not do justice to the real thing. I want to do things to you, Christian Grey." She gently strokes my cock as I devour her mouth with mine.

"I want to taste you. I want to put all of this in my mouth," she says against my mouth. I don't respond. I remove her hand from my cock before I embarrass myself in the tub, and stand both of us up and help her out of the tub.

As soon as we're dry, I pick her up bridal style and carry her back to my bed. I lay her down on her back, and she immediately spreads her legs for me. She smiles at me, tempting me, beckoning me to come to her.

I lay on top of her, but before I can kiss her, she shakes her head.

"Uh uh," she says. "I want this in my mouth," she says while she grabs my dick.

"Whatever the lady wants," I say as I roll off her and lay on my back.

She sits up and scoots down until my hard cock is in her face. I'm so hard, you can see every vein. I feel the pre-cum at the tip of my tongue. Ana slowly licks the top, and that innocent act almost makes me lose my mind. She slowly licks the tip as she strokes my shaft over and over again. She cups my balls and puts just the tip of my dick in her mouth, causing me to let out a loud groan.

"God, baby," I whisper as I stroke her hair.

She teases me some more before taking my entire dick in her mouth, all the way to the back of her throat. I throw my head back and hiss at the sensation and lose all thought as she sweetly tortures me with her mouth.

* * *

"So, this is what you like to watch? Should I be worried?" I ask Ana as I kiss the top of her head. After spending the day at home making love, and talking, we are now laying naked in bed as we watch an episode of Snapped.

"Ha! Just because I like to watch this show doesn't mean I'm crazy like these women," she says as she's wrapped in my arms.

"All the same, I'm going to keep both eyes on you."

"You were going to do that anyway."

"True," I say with a chuckle. "Especially on that ass." I give her butt a firm squeeze.

"Mhmmm," she says as she grabs my dick underneath the covers. I chuckle and pull her body into mine.

"You're insatiable, do you know that, Anastasia Steele? I'm going to need to up my workouts to keep up with you." And it's true. She turned down every opportunity to leave the house, and instead chose to stay in the bedroom. Naked. We only left the bedroom long enough to eat that takeout that I had one of the security guys pick up.

After spending the entire day making love, she tried to get me to take her home, but I convinced her to stay with me tonight as well.

"Are you sure this has been good for you?" She asks out of the blue.

"Your hand is on my dick. You tell me," I say to her as I wiggle my lower body.

"Yeah, but for how long before you get bored and want other things?"

"Look at me," She looks up and her eyes meet mine. "This has been the most fulfilling sexual experience of my life. No way will could I ever be bored with you. That will never happen, so get those thoughts out of your head."

"But, I want I don't want it to be one sided, Christian."

"It's not, baby. You turn me on like no other."

"But-,"

I silence her with a kiss.

"No buts. We don't have to discuss any of that now."

"But I want to."

"Ok. There is one thing I want from you for now," I tell her. I turn both of us on our side so we can face each other.

"Okay."

"Before this weekend, have you ever made yourself come before?"

I see that blush creep across her face, but then she surprises me by laughing.

"I was a virgin, not a nun. Yes, I've come before."

"With what?"

"My hand or a vibrator."

"Okay, so from now on, only I can make you come. You can only come with me, so no more self pleasure. I own your pleasure from now on. Got it?"

"Is that part of it?" She asks, while biting her lip.

"It is. It can be whatever we want it to be. Whatever we agree to. Do you agree to let your pleasure only come from me?"

"Well, you are good at it, so yes. I agree." I can see her breath a sigh of relief. She once again comes and lays her head on my chest. I pull her close, kiss the top of her head and take in her scent.

"Baby steps, okay?" She nods, takes a deep breath and closes her eyes.

"Christian?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Is this what love feels like?" She asks quietly, so quietly that I almost didn't hear her. The beat of my heart takes speed and I feel warmth spread throughout my entire body. A sense of peace takes hold of me, and I release a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"God, I hope so," I say, giving the top of her head another kiss. I hear her sigh right before she drifts into sleep.

* * *

"You didn't yell once at that meeting, Christian. Even when Howard made that glaring mistake, you didn't lose your shit. Whatever you got done to you this weekend must have been really good, you lucky bastard," Ros says to me as we finally leave the conference room, where we had our monthly meeting with the department heads.

I turn to look at her as I approach my office.

"You're right about the lucky bastard part." I open my office door only to have Ros follow me inside.

"Don't you need to get to lunch?" I ask her as I sit behind my desk and start to check my email.

"It's much more fun to harass you. So, tell me. How was your weekend? You've been practically floating around here all morning."

"My weekend was incredible, and that's all you'll get out of me," I say as I start to type a response to one of my emails.

"You're no fun," she says standing up to leave my office. Ros opens the door only to find Ana standing there with her hand up, getting ready to knock.

Ros greets Ana, turns and gives me a sly smile before walking out of my office.

I sit there and watch as Ana walks towards me with a shopping bag in her hand. She approaches my desk, and I grab her hand and sit her on my lap. I push her hair aside and plant kisses on her neck before turning her around and devouring her mouth.

"I've missed you," she said against my mouth.

"Me, too." I kiss her again. And again.

"I have to run back downstairs, but I brought you lunch," she says before getting up from my lap and standing outside of my reach. I pout, and she laughs.

"What do we have here?" I ask, reaching into the bag and expecting to find some sort of sandwich, but what if find is a warm Tupperware bowl. I open it to find steak. The other container has a tossed salad.

"You guys serve filet mignon now?" I ask.

"No. I actually took that from your freezer. Gail keeps you stocked with all the good stuff, but I wanted to make this for you yesterday, but we got, um, distracted. Anyway, I cooked it for you downstairs." She blushes just then.

"Distracted with my dick in your mouth?"

"Christian! Behave," she says with a laugh.

"This looks delicious, and I'm starving." I grab her arm and put her back on my lap. I cut off a piece and feed it to her before she gets up again.

"I gotta go." She gives me a small kiss on the lips.

"Come back when the café closes. You can shower and change here before we go to the marina," I tell her. Since we never made it to the marina for dinner yesterday, I promised to take her tonight.

She agrees before running out of my office, and I turn my attention to the delicious lunch my girl made just for me.

Hours later, I'm listening on a conference call, annoyed that I might have to go to New York for a few days this month and trying to figure out how I can convince Ana to come with me, when Elliot and Mia barge into my office. I put the phone on mute and tell them to be quiet until my call is over.

I know immediately that something is wrong because Mia is giving Elliot the death glare, and Elliot is clearly angry, but his anger is not directed at Mia. As soon as I end the call, they start to bicker.

"I came to you in confidence, Elliot. You're such an asshole. You didn't even think about it like I asked you to. It took me a week to come and talk to you, and you just rush right over here." Mia's voice catches in her throat almost as if she's on the verge of crying.

"What the hell are you guys talking about, and must you have this discussion in my office in the middle of a work day? I have shit to do," I tell them.

"Let's go, Elliot. Christian is busy." Mia takes Elliot's hand to pull him out of the office, but he pulls his hand away from Mia.

"He needs to know, Mia."

"Does he? Does he really? Aren't things between them bad enough? Please, let's just go," Mia pleads with Elliot.

"Is the he you guys are referencing me? If so, spill. What the hell is going on?"

"This." Elliot tosses me a flash drive. "You need to see this shit."

I take the flash drive from Elliot and put it in my computer. I'm confused at first, because all is see is Mia's messy room, but soon, mom and Ana walk in. I realize then that it's the day of the barbeque, and this is footage of when they went to get Ana a bathing suit.

I look from my computer screen to my siblings confused. Mia's face is red, and she refuses to look at me. Elliot's jaw is clenched so tight, it looks like it might break.

The volume on the video is horrible, and I have to rewind it several times to hear what's being said. At first, it's just mother asking basic questions, but I bristle at her asking Ana about how she's able to afford her tuition.

" _And your job at the café is enough to pay for your tuition?"_ She asks rather condescendingly. I hold on to my desk with so much force that my knuckles turn white. Grace Grey doesn't stop when Ana tells her she got a scholarship. Oh, no.

" _Is that the story my son told you to tell everyone? That you got a scholarship because it's clear to me that he paid your tuition. Just like he paid for this Caroline Herrera dress. I know you can't possibly afford it."_

She then walks and hangs up the dress. I look up at my siblings in disbelief. Mia is crying and Elliot is slowly nodding his head at my discovery.

I can feel anger bubbling when she talks about Raymond Steele being just a carpenter.

" _Right. You're from Montesano, right? Your father is a carpenter? My daughter likes to talk, and all I've heard lately is about Ana, Christian's girlfriend. But I know better. I just can't believe he had the nerve to bring one of you to my house under the guise of a relationship. He's fooled everyone else but not me."_

" _What does my father or where I'm from have to do with anything? And what do you think you know that no one else does? I am his girlfriend. We are in a relationship. I don't understand your point, Dr. Trevelyan."_

That anger boils over into indignation when she basically calls Ana a liar.

The guilt I feel about paying Ana's tuition behind her back doesn't last long, but it's quickly replaced by rage at what my mother says next.

" _My point is, I know what you are, and I won't stand for it in my house. Is that how he likes it? For you to act all bashful? The constant blushing? The shy glances in his direction? He must have you trained well because you picked out the most modest bathing suit in here. A young girl like you should have more self-respect than that, but I guess desperate times, right? Gotta get that tuition paid."_

I rewind that part several times to make sure I heard my mother basically calling my girlfriend a whore.

I turn towards my siblings, the angry look on my face giving them pause. Mia shrinks back and stands behind Elliot.

"How did you get this?" I ask. My tone is measured. I make sure to enunciate every word.

"Mia's webcam was on and she came to me with it. I told her you needed to know." I nod at Elliot and fix my gaze on my sister.

Before I speak, I make sure to draw several breaths because if I lose my temper with my sister, I won't get the answers that I need.

"How long have you known about it?" I ask with as much calm as I could muster. My tie feel like a noose around my neck and I quickly loosen it.

"About a week."

"One fucking week and you didn't come to me? Our mother calls the woman I," I begin. "She calls girlfriend a whore, and you sit on this for a week, Mia?" She's not fooled by the calmness of my voice. She takes an involuntary step back before she speaks.

Why the hell didn't Ana tell me this? How the hell has she been feeling the past week? Is this why she made us wait so long to make love? Why the fuck did she keep this from me, especially when I asked her if Grace had upset her?

"Because I knew how you'd react! I went to Elliot and wanted him to talk to mom with me. I don't want you to go and confront her, Christian! Our family is fractured enough. I want things to go back to how they were before all this shit happened!" Mia's always been one to cry when she's angry. She violently wipes the tears that pool in her eyes.

"I'm not the one who won't let this shit go, Mia. Our mother is! It's one thing when she directs her anger at me or criticizes me, but she's gone too far with this. Ana's done nothing but make me happy in the short time we've been together. And our dear mother calls her a whore? Did we look at the same fucking video? If you want this family healed, you need to go talk to her! And I'm your fucking brother! How about some loyalty to me?"

"I'm sorry, Christian. I just didn't want to cause any more damage to our family," she says as she wipes more tears. She takes a deep breath before she speaks again.

"Christian, please calm down. Maybe we can show this to dad, and he can deal with mom." I hear the optimism in her voice and hate that I have to be the one to tell her no.

I grab my jacket from behind my chair and put it on, take the flash drive and put it in my pocket .

"Don't worry, he's going to hear all about his wife's actions, but our dad isn't going to do shit other than find a way to blame me for this. Fuck this! For months she's done nothing but show me what a disappointment I am to her, but this? She crossed the line. Any real mother would be happy that their son has found someone as wonderful as Ana, but Grace Grey has shown her true colors. She's nothing but a condescending, egotistical shrew."

I dial up security and tell Sawyer to meet me in the garage.

"Christian! Where the fuck are you going? At least let me come with you." Elliot asks.

"Now, you want to go with him, Elliot? What the hell did you think was going to happen when you showed up in here with that flash drive? This is exactly what I wanted to avoid." Mia points her index finger at Elliot. "This is on you when our family falls apart even more." She then sits down on the couch and starts to sob.

"Mia –," Elliot begins. He puts his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugs his hand away.

"First, I'm going to find my woman and demand to know why the fuck she kept this from me, and then I'm going to find our mother."

 **A/N: Ana should have taken Jose's advice and told Christian herself. I was going to just let this be a fluffy chapter full of love, but what fun would that be? If I were Grace, I'd go hide somewhere. Until laters. Thanks for reading and reviewing.**


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

ALL CREDIT TO ELJ

ANA

I can't help the smile on my face as I watch Jose count the money from the drawer. The café is closed and cleaned. Once Jose counts the money, he'll take it to the bank and I'll go up to my boyfriend's office to shower and change for our date.

Christian Grey is my boyfriend.

The boyfriend that I spent practically all weekend fucking, and if I'm lucky, I'll be getting me another piece of him in just a few hours. I want to say fuck going to the marina and just go back to his bedroom, but I won't. I'm actually looking forward to going out with him, holding hands and maybe get some ice cream along the way.

"That smile is killing me," I hear Jose say.

"Why? Is it a creepy smile?"

"Creepy as fuck."

I take a napkin and toss it at him and he laughs.

"No, gurl. It's the I just got fucked all weekend smile," Jose says.

"And got fucked good!" I say before we both start to laugh. Just as Jose is putting the money is deposit bag, I hear a loud banging on the side door.

"Anastasia! Open the damn door!"

"Christian?" I yell as I get off my stool and approach the door. "What are you doing here?" I as ask I open the door to let him in.

He marches in looking dead drop gorgeous, but angrier than I've ever seen him.

"Oh, shit! How did you manage to piss this man off so quickly, Ana? You didn't make him watch Snapped, did you? I warned you about that shit."

I ignore Jose and focus on Christian's face. He looks angry, but there's more to it than that. The fact that he's looking over my shoulder and not in my eyes is a dead giveaway. He looks bothered, hurt even. I reach out for his hands and hold them in mine.

"What is it?" I ask. He lowers his head and fixes his gray orbs on me. I almost take a step back, away from his angry glare.

He doesn't speak. He continues to look at me, grabs my face with both hands and plants a soft kiss on my lips. He looks from me and back to Jose.

Jose makes a show about getting his things. He shoves the deposit bag in his backpack and hangs up his apron before clearing his throat.

"I'll see you later, Ana. And Christian, if she pissed you of, just remember that you can always take me to China instead. Later." And with that, Jose practically runs out of the kitchen.

Christian then turns his angry glare back to me. He grabs my face again, but he doesn't kiss me. It's almost as if he's holding me in place.

"I'm going to ask you one more time. Did my mother say anything to upset you when we were over there for the barbeque?" I was right. He's making sure that I don't turn away from him.

"Why are you bringing this up again? She asked me about my work and school. I already told you this." He closes his eyes when he hears my answer. When he opens them, his eyes have darkened.

"I'm going to ask you again. Did my mother say anything to upset you?" He slowly enunciates each word, almost as if he's reining in his temper.

I manage to pull away from his grasp and take a step back, unsure as how to respond.

"Why are you asking me this right now, Christian?"

"Answer me, Anastasia."

"I'm Anastasia now? What's going on?"

"What's going on is that you lied to me. What's going on is that you told me that my mother asked you about your job and school."

"She did ask me about my job and school!"

"Is that all you two talked about? Did she say anything else? Stop avoiding the question."

I blow out a frustrated breath, and I look into his angry eyes.

"Clearly you already know, but yes. She accused me of being your submissive and having the nerve to come into her house. She basically called me a whore. Are you happy now?"

"No, I'm not fucking happy, and Grace Grey is going to hear about it, but what I want to know is why you didn't tell me."

"And when was I supposed to do that? At the barbeque? In front of your sick grandmother so you can cause a scene?" I ask. Now I'm feeling my own anger rise to the surface.

"You've had over a week since then to tell me, and you didn't. And I've asked you more than once."

"Look, I was going to tell you afterwards, but we were in this little bubble of bliss, and I didn't want it to pop. There just never seemed to be the right time to tell you. I figured I would just stay away from your mother from now on. And most importantly, Christian, I care about you and I didn't to cause problems between you and your mother." I grab his hands and hold on to them.

"Whatever is going on between me and my mother has absolutely nothing to do with you, baby. Come here. Things have been brewing between us for months now, way before I ever set eyes on your beautiful face." He takes me hand and we walk over to a single chair placed in the corner. He sits down and places me on his lap and wraps his arms around my midsection. He plants a single kiss on my shoulder.

"Until the news about me came out, my mother was the perfect mom. Growing up, she provided us with a great home. She was loving and kind. We had birthday parties, Sunday dinners, and great holidays. Her and Carrick took us on vacations all over the world, immersing us in culture. We were happy and wanted for nothing. My parents' marriage has always been rock solid, so we grew up in a happy, loving home. Our extended family was around. I was one lucky kid after being adopted by the Greys, but something within her changed around the time the shit about me came out. I understand her shock and embarrassment. BDSM is not something that most people understand, so I get it. Everyone in the family was shocked, and we're a public family, so it affected everyone, not just me, and I feel so much guilt about that." He stops speaking and just rests his head on my shoulder. I lean into him trying to absorb some of his pain.

"I'm sorry your family went through that," I say to him.

He takes a breath before he continues to speak.

"Dad's reputation took a hit too, as well as Elliot's, but they supported me. Dad even lost some clients, but that didn't stop him from helping me deal with the fallout. He worked with my lawyers to stop that book from ever being published. He was angry, but never at me." He stops speaking for a moment as he searches for his next words.

"Maybe he was angry at me, but he didn't show it. He was my dad and supported me. Elliot was his usual self. His way at handling anything uncomfortable is to joke about it, so that's what he did. Besides, he had his own shit. He was still adapting to being a single dad. Mia was in France, and she never judged me. Ever. But, it seems like my mother snapped. She hasn't looked at me the same since. It's been nothing but judgment and criticism from her and passive aggressive comments. She won't let me forget how I embarrassed the entire family, even though she's the only family member who won't let it go."

I silently run my fingers through his hair,

"I'm sorry," I say as I kiss the top of his head.

"Why are you sorry? You haven't done anything."

"I'm sorry because I judged you, too. I told myself I wasn't judging, but I was. When I first heard about it, I assumed you hated women." He quickly looks up at me, and I see more hurt in his eyes. "But I was ignorant, and I didn't know you or anything about the lifestyle, so I just went with the stereotypes. But you were always so polite when you would come into the café, and your eyes just called to me. Then I met Jason and Gail and all they talked about was how wonderful you are. I was kind of fascinated by you, and when you kissed me, I became lost, but I still held on to these stereotypes about you. I was an ignorant, judgmental fool, and I'm sorry."

"Wow. I've never hated women, Ana. That's bullshit."

"I know you don't. I understand now. I know the man you are. You're the man I love, Christian." He looks at me again, looking confused, yet hopeful.

"What did you say?"

"Remember the other night I asked you if this is what love feels like? I think it is because I can't imagine my life before you. You're all I think about, and you're all I want. I've fallen in love with you. You've turned out to be completely unexpected, but everything I've always wanted. So, Christian Grey, I love you."

He stands up from the chair and sets me down while he continues to look at me.

"Say it again."

"I love you," I say simply.

"Again. I need to hear it again."

"I love you, Christian."

"You have no idea what it means to me to hear you say that, Ana." He lays his forehead on mine. "You loving me is everything because I love you, too. I love you so fucking much." He kisses me after that declaration. We kiss for what seems like forever. We kiss until my panties are drenched and I become breathless.

"Let's get out of here and go back to your house," I say against his mouth.

"I want you to go to my office. Be ready to go to the marina when I get back," he says back.

I take a step away from him so that I can look him in the eye.

"Come back from where?" I ask. I already know, but I need to hear him say it so I can talk him out of it.

"I need to pay my mother a visit. I won't be long."

I grab both of his hands to stop him from walking away. I know it's ridiculous for me to do that considering how much stronger he is than I am.

"You can't do that, Christian. I won't let you."

"You won't let me? That's cute, Ana." I bristle at his patronizing tone.

"Don't talk down to me, Christian. I don't care about what your mother said about me. Her opinion of me is irrelevant."

"I care, Ana. I care about my mother calling you, the woman I love, a whore."

"Forget about that." I reach out and put my hand on his dick, feeling the hardness against my palm. I massage it and I hear him hiss. "Let's go and celebrate our newfound love, Christian. I want you so much," I say as I tilt my head toward him for a kiss, hoping I'll distract and turn him on enough for him to forget about confronting his mother today while he's so angry, but instead, he moves my hand away.

"Stop trying to distract me, Ana. You need to know one thing about me, I won't let anyone insult or hurt you. No one. If my mother had a problem with me bringing you to her house, she should have had the guts to say something to me, not insult you. So, I'm going over there and I'm going to set things straight with her once and for all. Now, go to my office and wait for me, and when I get back we're going to talk about how you kept this shit from me. I know I'm rusty at this relationship thing, but I'm pretty sure lying by omission to the one you love is a no no." He starts to walk towards the door, but I run in front of him and block the door with my body.

"No! If you go over there now, I won't go to your office and wait for you. I won't go to the marina with you. Please, don't do this." I'm not sure exactly what 'this' is, but I know him well enough to know it won't be pretty.

"She insulted you. No one insults you and gets away with it."

"I love that you want to defend me. Don't go over there today. You just found out and you're too upset to deal with her right now. Please don't go over there and say something you won't be able to take back. Sleep on it, Christian. Please. For me," I plead, holding on to both of his hands for dear life. He looks at me and I can see the battle going on in his head. I see something flicker in his eyes, and before he speaks, I already know what his decision is.

"I'll be back soon." He plants a kiss on my forehead, lifts me out of the way and opens the door.

"Let me go with you, then. Take me with you!" I say in a rush. As much as I hate the thought of going back to his mother's house, I feel like I can at least try to calm him down if I go with him.

He stops at the door, turns to look at me. He's lost in thought for a minute, and for that brief minute, I think I've managed to convince him to take me with him. I was wrong.

"Just wait for me in my office, my little siren. You know I'll always come to you. I love you," is the last thing he says before walking away from me, leaving me standing there dumbfounded.

CHRISTIAN

Instead of having Sawyer drive me, I instruct him to stay at GEH, and I drive myself to Bellevue.

She loves me.

She loves me.

Anastasia Rose Steele loves _me_. And I love her. I have since the day I laid eyes on her wiping that counter. I never thought I'd have a chance in hell at being with someone like her. Someone so innocent, sweet and beautiful. Except I had my chance, and she loves me too.

She loves me despite my past, my lifestyle and my touch issues. Despite my mother insulting her, she stayed with me. She gave me her virginity, and, most importantly, her heart, and I'll be damned if anyone is going to demean or belittle her and what we have together.

The drive to Bellevue is slow due to the midafternoon traffic. I don't even know if mother is home. I know she's taken time off to help grandmother, so there's a good chance she's over at my grandparents' house, or my grandparents are visiting my mother.

I'm not surprised to see Elliot's truck when I pull into the driveway, but thankfully my grandfather's car is not there.

My siblings are so predictable. Mia cried and convinced Elliot to come here and handle me. Nobody handles me.

I slam the door to the Bentley and the before I can open the front door to the house, it's opened by my parent's housekeeper, Gretchen. I don't even bother greeting her as I walk into the house. I hear my mother talking in the kitchen.

"I don't explain myself to my children. You two forget who the parent is around here," I hear my mother say. Mia starts to speak, her words coming out of her mouth so fast and furious that I can't make out what she's saying.

"How can we ever forget who the parent is, mother? You never let us forget it." All eyes turn to me as I approach the kitchen. Mother doesn't look at me. Instead, she looks behind me.

"Gretchen, why don't you take the rest of the day off. I can handle things from here."

"Yes, Mrs. Grey," Gretchen says. I watch as she goes into a closet to grab her purse and quickly rush out of the house. Even Gretchen knows there's a storm brewing in the Grey household.

"This is a surprise." I turn around to see dad walking into the house as Gretchen is walking out. He's dressed as if he just got off the golf course. "To what do I owe the pleasure of finding all three of my children home. Where's Ana, by the way? Call her up and tell her to come over for dinner, Christian." Dad is still unaware of the tension in the room as he walks over and kisses mother on the cheek.

"Why is everyone so quiet in here? Mia, let's go mix up some cocktails," dad continues on, blind as usual.

"This isn't a friendly visit, dad. At least not my part." I pull out the flash drive from my pocket and toss it at him. He catches it. "Why don't you get your laptop and see what your wife has been up to lately."

His attitude immediately shifts. He's aware of the storm brewing now. He looks at me, then at Elliot who has his arms crossed, and Mia who has clearly been crying.

"Your father doesn't have time for your nonsense, Christian. He's been here helping me deal with my sick mother, not that you or your brother have even bothered to check on her."

"Untrue. I call her every day. Ana and I had dinner with her last week. If you're going to disparage me, at least use facts," I tell her, my voice cold and hard.

"And I've been over there three times this week, mother. You saw me there twice," Elliot says. He almost sounds bored with the conversation, but I know that's only because of mother's nonsense.

"What the hell is it this time?" Dad asks, completely exasperated. "I thought we were making strides, and I walk into what looks like a battle."

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart," my mother says, reaching for the flash drive. "It's just Christian being dramatic. You know how he gets."

I hear Elliot snort, and I know he's about to respond on my behalf, but dad beats him to it.

"Christian is the least dramatic person I know, Gracie. He's a straight shooter. Elliot, hand me my laptop."

Grace looks at Elliot, imploring him not to, as if that would stop dad. Elliot quickly reaches for it and brings it to dad, who is now seated at the island in the middle of the kitchen.

He opens it up and puts in the flash drive and watches the scene before him.

Grace stands there, stoic, giving nothing of her thoughts away.

"Grace Grey!" My father says once the video finishes.

"Yes, mother. Explain," I say to her.

Mother looks at all of us and crosses her arms.

"I was merely trying to get to know your so called girlfriend, Christian. And Mia, I'll be sure to stay out of your room from now on. What's the big deal? I just asked about her life."

"So called girlfriend? What is that supposed to mean?" I ask her.

"She's one of your whatever you call them. I can't even say the word. And you bring her into my home on the pretense that you're in a relationship. I don't buy it and I let her know it. Are we done here? I'll start dinner if you all are staying." She walks towards the fridge and starts pulling out food.

"We are far from done here, mother," I say walking towards her. "Who are you? What the hell happened to the mother I've had since I was four years old? I don't ever remember you being so cold and judgmental."

She puts down a head of lettuce and looks turns towards me.

"I'm right here, Christian. I'm the same mother you've always had. My question is, who the hell are you? What happened to the son I raised? I didn't raise you to do such deplorable things. Things that have brought shame upon every member of this family. And why are you so sensitive over this girl? As soon as you're done with her, you'll end her contract and find another one, right? Isn't that what you do? The entire world knows it, so no need to deny it. We are being honest, after all."

"Mother!" Elliot says. Mia starts to cry, and Carrick lets out a breath.

"Grace! That's uncalled for."

"I've got this, Elliot and dad."

"You mean I embarrassed you in front of your high society friends? Well, I'm so fucking sorry I did that to you, mother. Let's be clear, you're the only member of this family who is still suffering. My father stood by me. He worked side by side with my lawyers. He supported me, as did my brother and sister. As for the rest of the family, they don't give a shit. They treat me as they always have, but you? I don't even know you anymore, but this visit isn't about what you're doing to me. I'm here about what you're doing to Ana. Not my _so called_ girlfriend, but my girlfriend. How dare you, mother?"

"How dare I? How dare you, Christian!"

"That's enough, Grace!" Carrick says.

"How dare you do these things and then act like everything is ok? How dare you bring somebody like this in my home. Our family home?

"Somebody like what?"

"Someone who exchanges sexual favors for gifts. Fine, you're not paying her in cash, right? But the expensive jewelry, and designer clothes? She had on a two thousand dollar dress. How does she afford that at her job at some café?"

"Mom, you don't know what the hell you're talking about. You sound ignorant," Elliot says.

Mom turns her gaze to Elliot.

"And you, Elliot. Always taking up for your brother, aren't you?"

"Someone around here has to, mother," he says back.

"Why don't you go home to your son, Elliot? The one you probably conceived in some back alley or motel room." Elliot takes a step back as if our mother struck him.

"You mean your grandson? I'm glad I know how you really feel about him."

"I love my grandson, but-,"

"There should never be a but after saying you love your grandson, Grace. You stop right there. You've said enough."

"No, dad. Let her get it out. So, you think Ana's some sort of whore? I just want to get all our cards on the table," I say to her.

"Yes, that's exactly what I think, but someone give her a medal because she plays the part of innocence well."

"Yes, you've mentioned that in the video. Something about bashful glances. I always admired you. I always thought you were so smart and progressive, but now I realize how wrong I was. It was all a mirage. For your information, Ana is not now, nor has she ever been in the lifestyle. She's just a young girl who works in a café that happens to be located in my building. One morning, I saw a beautiful girl and I had no choice but to go and be close to her. That's it. That's the story. It took me months to talk to her outside of just placing an order. At first, she told me she didn't want to be with me. Just like you, she misunderstood the so called lifestyle that you revile so much. I had to convince her that we didn't have to have that kind of relationship before she gave me a chance."

Grace has the nerve to scoff before I even finish talking.

"Go ahead and scoff all you want to, mother. The fact remains, she did give me a chance, and it's been wonderful. I love her, mother, and she loves me." 

"That's wonderful, son. I'm so happy for you," Carrick says but I ignore him.

"I'm so happy that I bring her here in the hopes that my family will get to know her and love her like I do, and everyone does. Everyone but you. You go out of your way to get her alone so you can what? Put her in her place? Demean and humiliate her. Yes, I gave her the dress and I paid her tuition. She had to drop out due to financial reasons. Her mother is dead. She barely has anyone or anything so I helped her. So, what? I can afford it. You don't stop there, though. You insult her father because, as you say, he's just a carpenter, and you tell her she's exchanging sex for tuition. Are you proud of yourself?"

She looks at me and shakes her head.

"She loves you? You guys have known each other five minutes, and she loves you? I'm sure it's more your bank account she loves."

"Of course, because that's all I am, right? Why would anyone love me for me? You were once a loving mother, but as soon as I do something you don't like or understand, you take your love away. Elliot as a single father doesn't fit your image, so you insult him and EJ every chance you get while you claim to love your grandson. You can't love him and be ashamed of his existence all at the same time. As for Ana, yes, she does love me. Despite how shitty you were to her, she never told me, and when I confronted her today, she did everything in her power to stop me from coming here. She told me to forget about it. She was even willing to come here with me. Ironic, isn't it? The girl you offended tried to protect you from my anger."

"She didn't need to do that. I'm not afraid of you or any of my children."

"You're just ashamed of two of us."

"You two brought the shame, not me."

"Well, I'm sorry I shamed you, mother, but you don't have to worry about that anymore. I'm such an embarrassment to you, I won't come here or shame you with my presence anymore. I won't bring my so called whore girlfriend around you either. You can bring the pride back to the Grey name."

"Come on, Christian. Don't be ridiculous. Your mother just-" Carrick begins but I hold my hand up to stop him.

"No more excuses, dad. You saw what was on the flash drive with your own eyes. You heard what she said here today. You've tried, dad. I tried too, but no more. I'm done."

"I am, too," Elliot chimes in. "I won't have you saying these kinds of things around my son. He's only two now, but what happens when he's four or five and has to hear his grandmother cry about the shame of how he came into this world."

"Mom, apologize to Christian and Elliot. Guys, please stop," Mia says. She looks like she wants to say more, but the tears won't let her.

"I'm sorry you both feel this way. Christian, you're going to turn your back on me because of your charity case girlfriend?"

"Grace, shut up now!" Carrick says, but mother doesn't.

"And Elliot, always siding with your brother, right? Predictable."

"You can never take responsibility for your words or actions, mom. This has nothing to do with Christian and everything to do with _you._ Take a long hard look in the mirror sometime," Elliot says.

"And this has nothing to do with my charity case of a girlfriend either, mother. Let's be honest here. This has been brewing between us for over six months now. Ever since you first learned about my dirty little secret. This isn't about Ana at all. It's about you and me. It's about me shaming you, and you only loving me conditionally. Ana just got us here sooner, but we would have ended up her regardless."

She doesn't say anything. Instead, she pulls out a cutting board, a bowl and grabs a knife and starts to cut vegetables. Everyone in the kitchen is silent, waiting for her to speak.

"I'm going to prepare dinner. Is everyone staying? Go and get Ana if you must, Christian," she says without looking at me.

"Goodbye, mother," I say and turn towards the door.

"This is all your fault, Elliot Grey! I swear, I'll never speak to you again! I hate you!" Mia yells before she runs upstairs to her room.

"Mia!" Elliot yells out, but our sister is already gone.

Dad and Elliot follow me outside.

"I'm sorry, Christian. I don't know what got into your mother, and I'm not defending her, but you can't just cut her out of your life. She's your god damn mother for god's sakes. I'm going to talk to her."

I don't even have it in me to argue with him about this anymore.

"Ok, dad, you do that," is all I say as I go towards my car. "I'll talk to you later, Elliot, but maybe you should go talk to Mia."

"Not right now. She's too upset." Elliot has never been able to handle Mia being angry at him. I know he's going to twist himself like a pretzel trying to get back on her good side.

There's more I want to say to him, but not right now. He nods, knowing that enough has already been said tonight. I get in the driver's seat and immediately regret not having Sawyer here to drive me now.

I call Andrea to see if Ana was still waiting in my office, and my anger only escalates when she informs me that Ana never arrived on my floor. I start the car and make my way to my girlfriend's house.

 **A/N: Christian's cut off his mother. Mia's projecting her anger at Grace onto Elliot. Carrick is stuck in the middle and Grace is just being Grace. Spoiler alert: Grace still has not hit rock bottom. Until laters.**


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

ALL CREDIT TO ELJ

ANA

"So, you're pissed because he's on his way to defend your honor. He's going to tell his mama off for the things she said you and you're pissed about it? Am I getting that right?" Jose asks me as we're both crammed into our tiny bathroom at home. I watch as he puts moisturizer on his face as he's getting ready for his date with Scott.

"It's more complicated than that. I don't want to come between him and his mother. I've sorta been where he's at, and it didn't work out well for me. My mother is dead, and I can never tell her that I forgive her. I don't want him to go through that."

"Wait? Did I miss something? Is Dr. Bitch dead?" Jose is now tweezing his eyebrows.

"No, idiot! Why are you always missing the point?"

"I'm just saying! Mean bitches like her live forever. The point is that this is not about you. You know it. I know it. Christian Grey knows it and even Dr. Bitch knows it. Give the man a medal for standing up for you though, Ana. He has balls. He won't let anyone mess with you. Hell, give him a blow job to go with his shiny new medal. From what you told me, his mama has had it coming."

"Maybe she did, but you didn't see how pissed he was when he left. I just don't want him to say or do anything he'll regret. We all know how complicated relationships can be with our parents."

Jose looks at me and nods.

"I get it. You and Carla, and me and my own mother who can't accept the fact that I like to have sex with men. I don't know what G-Money's mother's problem is, but that bitch had it coming. You won't find me feeling sorry for her ass. Now, how do I look?"

"Why so much black? You look like a damn priest." I tell him after looking at him wearing black jeans and a black button down shirt. "Anyway, I was so mad at him, Jose. I begged him not to go and for him to take me home with him instead, but he just walked out and left me standing there. I'm going to tell his ass off when I see him again."

"Gurl, you know I have a priest fetish." I roll my eyes at him as he cackles. "You know he's probably on his way here right now, and I bet he wants to tell _you_ off for not waiting in his office. Give the man a break, Ana. Who knows what went down with his mom, but he'll need your support, not your bitchy ass attitude. I know how you can get, but I don't think he's the type who'll put up with your stank attitude. He'll just spank you instead." And he walks out of the bathroom without saying another word. I jump off the sink that I was sitting on and make my way back to the living room. Just as I'm about to turn on the television, I hear a loud banging on the door.

"Anastasia! Open the damn door," Christian yells from the other side of the door. I walk over and turn the knob to find him standing there. He's dressed just as he had been earlier, but his hair is a mess. It's almost as if he's been pulling on it for the past hour. His tie is loose, and his jacket looks wrinkled, but it's his face that gives me pause. He's not angry like he was when he left a few hours ago. Instead he looks hurt, broken even.

Without saying another word, I jump into his arms and wrap my arms around his neck. I breathe a sigh of relief when his strong arms encircle me. I lean into him full, putting all my weight on him. He squeezes me so tight and I just let him.

Not even Jose clearing his throat causes us to move from the doorway.

"Yeah, Ana. You told him, girl," Jose teases, throwing my earlier words back in my face. "If you all will excuse me, my date is waiting for me. Someone as good looking as I am should be out and about so I can be seen and appreciated by the public. Anything else would be a tragedy."

We still don't move from the entrance of the apartment. Christian pulls back, puts both hands on my face and kisses me gently on the lips.

Jose gets impatient and just squeezes past us.

"Have fun kids. Ana, I won't be home tonight so don't wait up." We don't even acknowledge him as he leaves the apartment building.

I finally walk inside, and Christian follows me. I stand in the middle of the apartment. He comes and stands directly in front of me.

"Siren," he says, looking at me again. After getting home, I showered and changed into a pair of short shorts and a tank top. The shorts are torn in the front and are so short that the pockets are longer than the actual shorts.

His eyes linger on my breasts, and my nipples harden instantly.

"I told you to wait for me in my office. We have plans to go to the marina. Go change because if you go out like that, I'm going to end up in jail."

The nerve of this man. He left me standing in the damn kitchen at work after I told him that I love him, and how he wants to issue orders.

"Dictatorial," I say.

He grabs my arm and pulls me into his body. His hand rests directly on my ass, which he squeezes.

"Possessive," he says before kissing me so hard, I know my lips will bruise. I kiss him back just as fiercely.

"Why didn't you do like you were told?" He asks once he finally breaks the kiss.

"Do as I'm told? I didn't realize I was a kid."

"We made plans, Anastasia."

"And I told you if you went over to your mother's house, guns blazing, I wasn't going to go with you," I say as I step out of his arms. I stand a few feet away and cross my arms.

"That's bullshit. You _are_ going so go change."

"What happened, Christian? Tell me how things went with your mother."

He comes back and stands directly in front of me again. He looks at me from head to toe and I can see how his eyes darken as they remain on my breasts. My nipples are like little pebbles of hardness, and I feel the moisture pool between my legs. He takes another step, invading my space totally. He pushes me against the wall and devours my mouth again. I give in to the kiss, tasting all of him. He takes my leg, lifts it and rests it against his hip as he continues to explore my mouth with his.

I let out a loud groan as he puts his other hand in my hair. He massages my scalp before lowering his hand to my neck, rubbing soothing circles.

"Baby," he whispers against my mouth. I never thought I'd like being called baby, but I love hearing him call me that. "My siren," he says and all I can do is moan.

Our spell is abruptly broken when his phone starts to vibrate. He gives me a few pecks on the lips before he breaks the kiss completely to look at his phone. He doesn't answer it, though. He just puts it on silent and puts it back in his pocket.

"Elliot," is all he says.

"Maybe you should call him back."

"Later. I'll call him later. Where's your bedroom? I want you so fucking bad." He looks around the small apartment looking for the bedroom.

"Only one bedroom here. I sleep on the couch."

"That thing? It looks lumpy."

"That's because it's broken," I say. He looks at the couch and shakes his head.

"Go change, siren. Let's get you fed."

I take a seat on the couch and pat the seat next to me. He sighs in defeat and sits next to me. I grab his hand, intertwining our fingers together and I rest my head on his shoulder.

"You know I love you, don't you, Christian?"

He looks at me in awe as she slowly nods.

"It's surreal to hear you say that, Ana. I love you, too."

"Please talk to me. Tell me what happened."

For the next fifteen minutes, I sit in stunned silence as Christian recounts everything that just took place this afternoon. I ask myself how the mother of someone so incredible can be such a damn bitch to him. He really tries to appear stoic and unaffected by what happened, but having been there myself, I know all of that is a façade. When he finally finishes talking, I throw myself in his arms and hug him as tightly as I can. He hugs me back, and we stay like this for several minutes, neither one of us talking.

I pull back and put both hands on his face, forcing him to lock eyes with me.

"Christian, you can't kick your mother out of your life. Please, don't do it. I don't want to be responsible for that."

"Ana, this has absolutely nothing to do with you. I repeat, this is not about you. This has been coming for a long time. I thought I explained all of that before I left. I just can't deal with her judgments anymore."

"I know how you feel, Christian. I really do, but I live with so much regret every single day. I don't want that for you. My mother and I both said things that neither one of us can never take back, but you and your mom are still here. You can fix whatever it is that's going on between you."

He runs his hands through his hair and lets out an exasperated sigh.

"I just can't do it right now, Ana. I've tried, and it doesn't work. She doesn't look at me the same since, and you know what? I could deal with that. As hard as it is, I could, but what I can't deal with are the judgements and her barbs. Those things she said to you are unforgivable. Had she apologized and offered to come apologize to you, maybe we could have moved forward, but she demeaned you again right to my face. That's when I knew I had to walk away. I finally realized today that no matter what I do, she will never forgive me for what happened. She will use anything and anyone to remind me how much I fucked up and embarrassed her."

"I don't want to be the cause of you severing your relationship with your mother! I don't care about what she said to me! I know I'm not a whore. I know I'm not sleeping with you for money or clothes. And I sure as fuck know you didn't pay my college tuition, so what does it matter? Go back there and make up with our mother for goodness sakes!" I stand up from the couch then and go pour myself a glass of wine. I pour one for Christian too, thinking he might need it.

He looks nervous as he takes the glass of wine from me. I see him grimace after taking a sip. I almost laugh at the thought of him drinking my five dollar bottle of chardonnay from Target. He puts the glass down on the coffee table and gives the offending wine a dirty look.

"Siren, about that tuition," he begins as he stands up to face me.

I feel a prickle in the back of my neck.

"What about it?" I ask slowly.

"I did pay it," he says quickly.

"What!"

"I paid your tuition," he says confidently. He takes the glass of wine from my hand, puts it down and grabs my hands.

"No! You couldn't have. You knew nothing about that." I try to pull my hands from his, but he holds on tight.

"Well, I did know about it and I took care of it," he says arrogantly.

I think back to how strange the meeting at the bursar's office was, and how I could hardly get any answers to my questions.

"And the stipend?" I ask.

"That was me too."

"Why?" I ask incredulously. I try to move my hands from his again, but he won't let go.

"Why? Because you needed me to. You needed money, so I took care of it. It's that simple, baby."

This time I manage to yank my hands from his.

"I'm not one of your damn charities, Christian. I was going to find a way to pay for my own damn tuition. And you just hand me twenty five thousand dollars? I've already spent about half of it. How on earth am I supposed to pay you back? I'll give you the other half back tomorrow. I don't need charity and I don't need pity. I can take care of myself like I always have!" I turn from him then and walk away. It's a tiny apartment, so I open the bathroom and door and go in. He's inside before I can shut the door.

I sit on the sick and he comes to stand in front of me, having the audacity to look angry at me.

"First of all, you are not a fucking charity. I would never think that about you. I know you can take care of yourself, but I thought you might appreciate a little help. You were struggling, and I helped the woman I love. I will make zero apologies for that. None." He's looking at me right in the eye now, daring me to fight him on it.

"You didn't love me when you did that. We weren't even together," I remind him as I call him out on his bullshit.

"You're going to tell me how I felt now? I loved you then. I'm even crazier about you now, though." He walks closer to me and puts both hands on my thighs as he softly kisses my neck.

"You loved me before we were together?"

He nods.

"Probably since the first time I saw you. So, yes, I stepped in and helped. I'd do it again if I had to."

"Christian, you're incredible, do you know that?" I whisper. "But, what about all that stuff you said to me about lying by omission? How that's not how relationships work, and all this time you were keeping this from me? What kind of double standard is that? At least I apologized for keeping what your mother said to me from you."

"Do you love me?" What the hell does that have to do with anything.

"You know I do," I tell him as he leaves wet kisses on my neck.

"If the situation were reversed, would you let me struggle if you could so easily help me?"

"Of course not, but I would have at least told you about the money."

He looks at me and arches an eyebrow.

"Really? Would you have? I don't think you would. You would have done what you thought best, just like you did when you failed to tell me about my mother. We've both kept things from each other. Let's make a pact not to do that anymore, okay? I promise not to lie by omission anymore, but I don't apologize for being there for you when you needed me. Can you do the same?" Now, he's lowered his head back to my neck and starts sucking at the base of my neck and shoulders and I can hardly form a coherent thought. My eyes roll to the back of my head, and all I want to do is get naked so he can fuck me until I passed out.

"Ok, I can do that," I manage to croak out before he kisses my mouth. I'd give anything to be able to put my hands on his chest and unbutton his shirt, but I know I can't. Instead, I reach for his belt with the intention of getting him naked, but he stops me.

"Not here. I want to take my time and make you come for hours." I bite my lip and whimper at his husky tone. "But not in this bathroom and definitely not on that couch. Let's forget about the damn marina and go home instead. I'll take you to the marina this weekend." I wanted to tell him that I could give a shit about the marina, and that I only want to wrap myself around his body.

"Let's go," is all I can manage to say. He lifts me off the counter, grabs my hand and walks me back to the living room where I only manage to grab my purse. He doesn't even give me time to pack a bag. Instead, he reminds me that I have everything I will need at his place.

Thankfully, the drive back to his house takes only about half an hour. He covers my hand with his as I rest my hand on his thigh. Throughout the entire drive, I can see the outline of his hard dick in his pants.

As soon as we step inside the house, I jump into his arms, wrapping my legs around him. His lips are on mine in no time, forcing my mouth open and invading my mouth with his tongue. I taste him as I run both hands through his hair, pushing his face closer to mine and deepening the kiss.

As fast as possible, he makes the trek to his massive master suite. He slams the door shut with his foot. Without any warning, he tosses me on the bed before climbing on top of me, taking my nipple in his mouth through my tank top as she removes his jacket and throws it on the floor.

He leaves my breast only to remove my shorts. I quickly take off my tank top and throw it on the floor where it lands on top of his jacket. In no time at all, we are both naked and he covers my body with his.

He's all hands and wet mouth over my neck, breasts, stomach and thighs. He spreads my legs open and then he takes one leg, and tosses it over his shoulder, leaving my pussy completely exposed.

He kisses the top of my pussy before slowly licking me from bottom to the top.

"Oh, god," I say as I buck underneath him. He pins me down with his weight right before he starts nipping, biting and sucking my clit. My moans of pleasure fill the room as I writhe underneath him, calling out his name. I can feel how wet I am as he sticks two fingers inside of me as he sucks on my clit.

"Oh, shit!" I yell out as he bites gently on my clit, taking me over the edge.

"I love you. I love you. I love you," I say over and over again as I ride the waves of my orgasm.

He climbs back on top of me, kissing me so deeply, forcing me to taste myself on his tongue. It's so carnal that I immediately want him inside of me.

"I love you, siren," he says against my mouth. "I'm not even close to being done with you. I want you to get on all fours and stick that ass in the air." He doesn't give me time to respond. He gets off me and grabs me as if I weigh nothing, basically putting me in the position he wants.

I should feel awkward on this bed, on my hands and knees with my ass in the air, but I don't. I feel sexy, wanted and powerful. I lay my head on a pillow and arch my back. I look behind me only to find him looking at my ass and pussy. He runs his hand lovingly along my spine before he strokes my ass and pussy.

"You look so beautiful like this, siren. I have to remember you're new at this and rein myself in. God, you're beautiful. My imagination didn't even come close." He leans in and bites me on the ass cheek. It wasn't very hard, but it wasn't gently either. I startle, but I love it.

"Do that again," I say, and he does, only harder this time. And he does it to my other cheek, making me moan in pleasure.

"You like that?" He asks as he sticks two fingers deep in my pussy.

"Yes," I say.

"Yes, sir. Say it," he commands.

I involuntarily swallow, willing my mouth to move and say those words. The words that I know will make him happy. I remember our talk about the type of relationship we would have; one where we would both try and meet the other halfway.

"Yes, sir," I say back to him. Even though he's looking at my ass when I say those words, I can still hear his breath hitch. I turn around to look at him, and I see a slight smile on his lips as he looks at me. I stick my ass out further, giving him a better view.

"Seeing you like this, waiting for me to claim you does things to me, Ana. Feel how much I want you," he says as he rubs his hard dick against my ass. He's so hard and thick against me that want to lay on my back so that he can fuck me senseless. "I want to slap your ass and leave my handprint on it before I fuck you from behind." He doesn't ask outright if he can spank me, but I know it's a request, and because I love him and told him I would try, I agree.

"Do it, Christian. I want you to."

"Are you sure?"

"Stop talking! Yes, I'm sure. I want you inside of me so bad, so if a spanking will get you inside me sooner, start spanking." He doesn't spank me right away, though. He eats my pussy from behind again, bringing me on the edge of orgasm before he abruptly stops. A few seconds later, I feel his hand on my ass. It stings, but the impact causes my clit to vibrate, turning me on even more.

He kisses me on my ass cheek before rubbing the sting away. All I can do is moan before he slaps me again on the other cheek, kisses it and rubs it. He does this over and over again, alternating between ass cheeks. His slaps aren't gentle, but each time I feel an impact, it jolts my pussy, making it wetter. By the time he's done, I'm dripping.

"Feel what you do to me," he says as he rubs the last sting out of my ass. I reach behind me and touch his dick. I try to wrap my hand around it, but he's too large and too hard. The idea that I'm responsible for making him this turned on makes me feel like a temptress. I get an idea, and before he can stop me, I quickly turn around and take him in my mouth.

He's so big and fills my mouth completely, but I do my best to take him in the back of my throat. He throws his head back and hisses at me as I continue to take him in my mouth.

"I don't want to come in your mouth, baby. Get back on your hands and knees right now." His tone is bossy and commanding, and I do as he says. He gives my cheeks another round of spanking for tempting him with my mouth before he enters me from behind.

He entered me slowly, and he's fucking me the same way. The pleasure is more than I can stand, but I know he's holding back.

"You've earned yourself another spanking. I didn't give you permission to take me in your mouth." I the idea of another spanking fuels my desire for him even more.

"Don't hold back. Faster. I want it faster," I manage to say to him as he thrusts inside of me.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! God, yes!" I yell out. That's all he needs from me. He grabs my hips, lifting me higher before he starts to pound into me. He gives each cheek another hard slap before he really starts to fuck me. He fucks me so hard the bed shakes. He fucks me so hard that my teeth chatter. He fucks me so hard that I forget my own name, but I remember his as I call it when an orgasm takes over my body.

And still, he continues to fuck me over and over again. I come one more time before he loses all control and comes inside of me, filling me with his seed. My knees turn to jelly and I collapse on the bed. He lands to top of me, his entire body on my back.

We sit there for several minutes as we catch our breath. He finally rolls off my sweaty back and pulls me to his side. I rest my head on his chest, where I can still hear his racing heartbeat.

"You okay?" He asks.

"I just had the most incredible sex and multiple orgasms with the man I love. You tell me," I sass back.

"Say it," he says, and I know exactly what he wants.

"I love you." Kiss. "I love you." Kiss. "I love you."

He closes his eyes almost as if he can't believe the words that just came out of my mouth.

"I love you, Ana. I love you so much."

* * *

"Oh, fuck," I say out loud as I crawl out of Christian's bed and make my way into his bathroom. I'm sore everywhere, but it's the naughty kind of soreness that makes me want to blush. It's the type of soreness that I wouldn't change for anything in the world.

Last night was incredible. After the spanking session, we made sweet love before he took me to a neighborhood restaurant. It was on the water and we were seated at a table outside. Afterwards, we went back to his place and made love again before falling asleep wrapped around each other.

This morning, I woke up to an empty bed, but I soon got a text from Christian telling me to wait for him on the patio off his bedroom. Quickly, I brush me teeth, freshen up and slip on a silk robe from Christian's massive closet. He comes back into the bedroom just as I'm opening the French doors to the patio.

I hold the door open for him as he carries a tray full of delicious smelling food. I resist the urge to grab his ass as he walks past me, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and a tee shirt. I'd hate for him to drop the food.

He tells me to take a seat and he places a plate filled with what looks like eggs scrambled with ham, cheese and green peppers. He also has bacon, toast, orange juice and coffee. He takes a seat next to me and pulls me in for a deep kiss.

"You look so beautiful in the morning. I love how flushed your cheeks are, and how wild your hair is," he says against my mouth. I smile and give him one more kiss.

"It must be all the great sex," I say to him as I sip my orange juice. I offer him a sip from my glass, and he takes it.

"Let's eat," he says.

"This looks and smells great. You're quite the cook, Christian Grey," I say in complete awe of his breakfast cooking skills. His only response is a shy smile. We eat in silence, kissing between bites and feeding each other.

"It's Elliot," Christian says when his phone starts to vibrate. "He's been trying to call me since yesterday, so I have to take this," he says before answering the phone and putting Elliot on speaker

"It's about time you answer, asshole," is Elliot's greeting to his brother. I let out a small laugh.

"Is that Ana?" He asks.

"It better be Ana," I say back.

"Oh, she sounds like she can kiss your ass, bro. Man, I'm jealous. I'm still so fucking horny." Christian and I both laugh at him.

"Nobody cares about your horniness, Elliot," Christian says.

"What happened to your plan to get laid at Gail and Taylor's wedding?" I ask.

"Oh, man. It was working great. I was flirting with this sexy little blonde, but Taylor told me he would beat my face in if I messed with anyone at his wedding. Anyway, what are you two lovebirds doing?" He asks.

"Just eating the breakfast that Christian made for us," I say to him. "Are you ok, Elliot?" I ask when he starts to cough. His coughing stops, and he starts to laugh uncontrollably.

"The breakfast that Christian made? Christian Grey? My brother, Christian?" He asks while he continues to laugh. Christian grabs the phone and takes him off speaker. He kisses my forehead before going inside to talk to Elliot.

I just shrug everything off and continue to eat.

"Everything ok?" I ask Christian a few minutes later when he comes back from the bedroom.

"Yeah, just Elliot being Elliot. He wanted to have lunch, but I'll be gone all day." I do a dramatic pout when he reminds me he'll be at a meeting all day.

"I'll miss you," I say, and he smiles.

"Come, baby. I want us to take a bath before we go see your house, and I have to put some moisturizer on that fine ass of yours."

I asked Christian to come see the house with me today since I took the day off to do some last minute things before I officially move into the house in a few days.

"My ass is fine. You took care of it last night." After our first session last night, we showered and then put cream on my ass, even though I told him it wasn't necessary.

* * *

"Come on, baby. Hurry up! I have to be at my meeting by ten. I'm going to leave Prescott with you. She'll take you to run any errands and will bring you back here when you're done." He leans down and kisses my cheek as I apply some lip gloss. It started to rain as soon as we ate breakfast, so I'm in a pair of very expensive jeans that I found in the closet, and a black cold shoulder top.

"You're beautiful, you know that?" I blush at the compliment and put down my lip gloss.

"You're biased because you love me." I wrap my arms around his neck and get on my tippy toes. He kisses me so hard and deep that I'll have to reapply my lip gloss.

"You have no idea how much I love you. Now, come on. I need to check out this house." He slaps me on the ass before walking out of the bathroom.

I follow him out, grab my purse and follow him to the garage, where Sawyer and Prescott are waiting for us. Sawyer drives us, and this Prescott person follows in a different car.

I'm nervous when we pull up to the house. It's a beautifully landscaped ranch style house on a quiet street. Thankfully Jose has done a great job of maintaining he lawn since the house became mine.

I show Christian the outside of the house first, especially my mother's rose garden.

"Roses were her favorite, especially pink roses like this one," I say as I point out to a beautiful rose bush. "We have a garden like this in Montesano, and mom showed me how to garden when my parents were still married."

"It's beautiful, Ana. I understand now why your middle name is Rose. Your blush is almost the exact same color as this one." His words bring tears to my eyes, and all of a sudden, I miss my mother. He wraps me in his arms as I let my tears fall.

"She loved you, Ana," he whispers as he kisses the top of my head.

"I know. I loved her too. Come on. I'll show you the rest of the house."

We go inside, and the tour ends pretty quickly. The entire house could probably fit in his bathroom, with its three bedroom and 2 bathrooms. The house is completely bare, but the hardwood floors are new and Carla had installed beautiful granite counter tops. A few months ago, Ray put new cabinets in as a housewarming gift.

"Where's the fridge, baby? And you don't have a dishwasher?"

"Uncle Simon came and took the appliances out of the house before I had a chance to change the locks. I'm going to buy new appliances today thanks to that stipend," I say with a nervous laugh.

"Someone needs to teach your uncle some manners," He says. I can see him clench his jaw.

"I don't want to think about him."

"What about furniture? Do you have a bedroom set somewhere?"

I shake my head no.

"Going to buy a bed and appliances today. Jose's parents are giving us one of their old couches."

I see him close his eyes as if deep in thought. He then takes off his suit jacket and tosses it on the counter top in the kitchen.

He takes his phone out of his pocket and dials a number. I walk away to go look in the master bedroom when he starts talking to Ros. I'm poking my head in my empty closet when I feel him behind me.

"Ros is going to cover my meeting."

"Why?" I ask, shocked. He told me this was an important meeting that he just couldn't miss.

"Because you need me. Listen, a decorator will be here in about an hour, and you're going to pick out everything you need to furnish this house. No arguing. Pick whatever you want. Hell, get furniture for Jose's bedroom, too. And then, when that's done, you and I are going to get you everything else you need." I start to argue, but he silences me by putting a finger on my lips.

"Enough. I love you, Ana, and I'm not going to let you struggle when I can easily help you. It's not going to happen. Fight me all you want, but I'm going to be here for you, and part of my way of being here for you, is buying you stuff. Lots of stuff. Get used to it, okay?"

"I don't want to be like-." He stops me before I even finish my sentence.

"You're nothing like that, and it offends me that you would think that. I _love_ you, Ana. I fucking love you, and I want to do these things for you. That's it."

He then gives me the gentlest kiss on the lips. I look in his intense gray eyes and see all the love he has for me. Feel the blush creep across my cheeks as he holds my gaze.

"Can we go on a Target run after the designer leaves?" I ask shyly, biting my lip.

"A Target run? We sure can. Whatever the fuck a Target run is, we can do it."

 **A/N: After all the drama in the last chapter, I thought I'd give you some fluff. I hope it wasn't too boring. There will be a tiny time jump next chapter, and maybe even a little Grace. Gail is still on her honeymoon, and Christian can't even boil an egg. So, where the hell did that breakfast come from? Thanks again for reading and reviewing. Until next time.**


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

ALL CREDIT TO ELJ

CHRISTIAN

"It's a gift, and you're being rude, Ms. Steele," I tease Ana. I open the passenger door to my Bentley and wait for her to get in before getting in the driver's seat.

I see her eyeing me, seeing how much she wants me. While we picked out furniture, rugs, and artwork for Ana's house, I sent Sawyer back home to get me a change of clothes. I'm now wearing a pair of cargo shorts and a black polo shirt, and Ana can't seem to keep her hands or eyes off me. She reaches over and lays her little hand on my knee. I cover it with my own hand.

"Why wouldn't the guy answer my questions about price? It just seems like I cost you a lot of money today." She bites her lip and eyes me nervously.

I had Andrea contact the same decorator who decorated my house. Unfortunately, the decorator I used is in Hawaii, but he sent his son in his place. Floyd Walton is almost a cliché. He's flamboyantly gay and kissed Ana on both cheeks before sweeping into the house to get a "feel" for it, as he said.

When Ana called Jose about me getting him new bedroom furniture, he was speechless for a full minute. I know because she had him on speaker.

"Say that to me again, Ana," he said to her when he finally got his speech back.

"Christian is going to furnish the house and he said you can pick out a bedroom set."

"Don't fuck with me, Ana. I've been sleeping on that lumpy ass mattress for far too long. Is this for real?"

"It's real, Jose. The decorator will be here any minute. You want us to just pick something out for you?" I asked him.

"Oh my fucking god! I trust you to make a good choice, I really do, but I'm on my way. Holy shit!" He screamed out before he ended the call.

He arrived at the house twenty minutes later, just in time to ogle Floyd. We picked Jose's furniture first since he had to go back to work. Ana and I spend a few more hours with Floyd picking out paint colors, furniture, a bookshelf, lamps and everything else Floyd deemed necessary.

Prior to him coming here, I instructed Andrea to tell the firm that price is not to be discussed, which they were fine with since I never work a budget when it comes to my personal life.

"It's a gift, Ana. Don't worry about what it costs. I can afford it."

"Thank you, Christian. It seems that just saying thank you is not enough.

"Trust me. It's enough, siren. And you're welcome. Now, let's go do this Target run." I say to her as she directs me to the closet Target.

I here my phone start to vibrate and I pull it out of my pocket, just in case it's Ros, who was annoyed at having to cover my meeting last minute. Too bad for her because I'm the boss.

I look at the name on the screen, and it's not Ros. Mom flashes on the screen and I toss the phone in the cupholder, after hitting ignore. This is the first time she's called me in months, but I have no time for her nonsense. Grace Grey and I are officially on the outs.

"Maybe you should get that," Ana says to me.

"So, what are we going to do at Target? I can't say I've ever been there before," I say to her, changing the subject.

"Can I say something, Christian?" She says, squeezing my knee.

"Of course, baby. You never have to ask me that."

"I think you should answer your mother's call and work things out with her. I know what happened wasn't about me, and I'm not making it about me. From what you told me, you two had a great relationship until that stuff went down with the women. I want you to have that with her again."

"Ana," I begin, but she interrupts me.

"But, I support you. I understand needing a break from a parent. I really do. I would just hate for you to lose a chance to make this right, but I'm not going to nag you about it. Just, please learn from my experience and don't let this go on for too long. Whatever she's done or said, she loves you and I know you love her."

"Us loving each other has never been the problem. I don't know what the fuck her problem is, to be honest, and I'm tired of apologizing and being made to feel ashamed. I just need a break." What Ana doesn't know is that until Grace apologizes to her for her cruel words, we won't be speaking to each other any time soon.

She intertwines our fingers and brings my hand to her lips.

"Okay. I love and support you. I'm your ride or die," she says to me.

"My ride or die?" I ask. She grins and nods her head. "I like the sound of that, siren. And I love you, too. Now, let's get this Target run done," I say to her as I pull into a parking spot in the garage.

Ana hops out of the car, excited like a kid at Christmas.

"So, this is Target." I say as we walk in holding hands.

"You've never been here before?" She asks.

"Nope. Never had a need to. So, what do you need?"

"Well, not as much as I thought since Floyd is a one stop shop. I just need some stuff for the kitchen and bathrooms. Stuff like that. Oh, and a vacuum. And a coffee maker. And some picture frames. And a grill. And maybe some-," I interrupt her before she can continue.

"We'll just get whatever the fuck you want or need. I have a black Amex with no limit. Let's grab one of those red things," I say pointing to the shopping cart.

"Well, since you took care of everything I need for the house, I can pay here," she says while pushing the shopping cart. I pull her from the cart and give her a kiss on the lips right in the middle of Target.

"Baby, stop. Get whatever you want and don't think twice about it, and no more talk about who is paying or I'll spank you right here."

I see her face turn pink with a blush, but then her eyes darken, and she bites her lip while looking in my eyes. I chuckle at her.

"My siren likes the idea, I see." I grab her wrist and slam her into my body. "You like the thought of that, don't you? I think next time I'll blindfold you before I spank you and fuck you so hard, you'll pass out. You want that?"

"I do," she says. This time she's not blushing or trying to look away. This time, she's looking at me right in the eye.

"Say it," I order her.

"I want you to blindfold me and fuck me as hard as you can. Harder than you've ever fucked anyone," she says while still looking at me.

"Whatever my siren wants, she can have. Now, let's shop before I say fuck it and just you back to my place."

"I'll say it, then. Fuck it. Let's go back to your place." She grabs the collar to my polo shirt, pulling me down towards her.

"Soon. But first, we shop." I let her push the cart since I have no fucking clue where anything else is in this store, but I cover one of her hands with mine as we go up and down aisles. Ana picks up whatever she needs, from kitchen and bathroom items, and other household things. When I noticed she was checking out prices, I told her to stop doing that and to just pick out whatever she wants. I offered to take her to Macy's or Williams Sonoma instead, but she insisted on staying at Target.

"You can't get these, Ana. They're flimsy and cheap," I say as I feel every towel at Target. I grab my phone and add it to the list. The other list I'm making for the designer. I hear Ana sigh next to me.

"You said that about the grill I wanted too. And the bathroom rug and sheets. These towels are fine." She reaches for some, but I get to the first and toss them away.

"Nope. My baby only gets the best. And those sheets and towels feel like sand paper. I'm going to get you the same ones I have. Come on," I say as I push the cart away. It's been so long since I've been in a store. Like a kid, I push the cart as fast as I can before I stand on the back of it, going for a ride down the aisle. Ana catches up to me and tells me she wants to go to look at coffee machines.

We take selfies with the espresso maker she picked out. I texted one picture to Elliot and he texted back that he was still jealous and still horny, which made Ana and I burst into laughter in the middle of the store.

We take more selfies when Ana impulsively jumps on my back in the middle of the electronics aisle. I take one when she sticks both hands in my hair, making it stand up. We take several of us doing silly faces, and one when she kisses my cheek.

After two hours in the store, we fill up two carts before we finally pay for our purchases and leave.

"Can I drive your car?" Ana asks once we put everything inside the trunk and back seat of my Bentley.

"No, baby. Nobody but me or one of my security drives my Bentley. I love this car way too much."

She pouts.

"You love this car more than me?"

"It's a tie," I say with a playful grin. She pouts again.

"Well, can you take a picture of me sitting in the front seat so I can send it to Jose?" I take several pictures of her sitting behind the wheel of my Bentley. I even get in a few with her, and she texts them to Jose, who sends a gif of someone fainting.

When Ana steps out of the car, I pin her body with mine against the driver's side door and kiss her do deeply that it takes all my willpower not to throw her in the back seat and have my way with her. She returns the kiss with just as much want, putting both hands in my hair and pulling.

We reluctantly pull away, and I get in the driver's seat and start the short drive back to her house. Ros calls as I'm driving updating me on the meeting. I promise to call her in an hour from my home office so we can discuss our next steps.

By the time we get to Ana's, the decorator has already gotten painters to the house. This is not surprising since I told him that I need him to complete this job before Ana moves in on Saturday.

Once we put everything in Ana's detached garage before we go back to my house.

"I have to work for a few hours, baby. Do whatever you want for a few hours. If you need to go out, Prescott will take you wherever you need to go, okay?"

"I'll make us dinner while you work," she says to me. I only smile and nod, loving our domestic bliss.

She walks me to my office and wraps her arms around me, kissing me.

"Thank you for everything you did for me today, Christian," she says. As I'm about to respond, she shushes me. "I'm not talking about the material things that you got for me today, though I appreciate that so much. I'm talking about you being there for me, comforting me in my mother's garden and you not going to your meeting because I needed you. I did need you today, but I was too proud to admit it and I've been taking care of myself for so long that I don't know how to depend on someone else. But you saw through me and changed your plans for me, and for that I will love you until I take my last breath. And I want to apologize to you again for judging you, and for telling you I didn't want to be with you when I came here for the first time. I was the biggest fool, but you have me now, and you're stuck with me." By the time she finishes talking, her eyes have filled with tears. She shuts her baby blues and quickly wipes at her eyes before the tears could even fall. I lean down and kiss her eyes.

"Oh, baby," I say as I kiss her forehead. "You don't ever have to apologize for that. Ever. It's behind us now and being stuck with you is the best thing that has ever happened to me. We're a team, baby. Love you." I give her one last kiss and go into my office where I stay for several hours discussing the latest acquisition with Ros. Unfortunately, I will need to travel to North Carolina next week to meet with their board. This means I'll be working twelve to sixteen hour days until I fly out there.

Working those many hours have never been an issue for me, but now that I have Ana, I don't want to be away from her for that long. In all honestly, I've been spending so much time with her lately, I've been slacking on my work. However, I need to focus now, but I don't want her to think I won't make time for her.

I push away from my desk to seek out my woman, but my phone vibrates. It's mother. I hit ignore. I notice then that I've missed several calls from Elliot and Mia, as well as from Welch and Barney.

I also have a text from Mia which I open. In it are several pictures of me and Ana from our earlier Target run. There's a picture of us kissing in the aisle, of her on my back and kissing my cheek, and one with my hand on hers as we were walking down the aisle. Mia also attached a video of us kissing in the parking garage.

It's official. My relationship with Ana has been outed and I couldn't be happier. I watch the video of us kissing three times, each time smiling even wider. I message Welch telling him we'd formulate a response tomorrow. Just as I hit send, Elliot calls me again.

"Why must you keep calling me all damn day, Elliot? I have a job. Don't you?" I ask him.

"Does your job include you taking selfies and making out at Target, dude? You've gone viral, asshole. The media is eating this up."

"Seriously?"

"Where the hell have you been for the past few hours? You had Ana holed up in your love dungeon? Dom finds love, is what the media is saying. Remember how your exes told the world that you hardly kissed them? Well, they keep playing that clip next to you kissing Ana."

"Not exes. I don't have any exes. I've been holed up in my office working. Do they know who Ana is yet?"

"They sure do." Before I can say anything else, Welch calls.

"Gotta go. Welch is calling."

"I'm still fucking jealous," he yells right before I end the call.

Welch reads the statement that PR has drafted, asking for my approval. I tell him to email it to me so that I can show Ana before we agree to anything. As soon as I hang up with him, my mother calls again. I ignore her again, but just as I'm about to reach my office door, dad calls.

"Dad," I say to him.

"You've made the news, son," he says with a chuckle. "That was one hell of a kiss." Awkward.

"I just found out."

"How's Ana handling her newfound fame?"

"Don't know yet. I was in my office for the past few hours working. I have to travel next week, so I've been busy."

"You sure have, son," dad says laughing out loud this time.

"I'm glad you find this funny, dad. I have no idea how Ana will react," I say running a hand through my hair.

"If that kiss is any indicator, she'll be just fine. Listen, the news is all good this time. Have you talked to your mother? She's been calling you?" I knew there was some ulterior motive to his call.

"Not now, dad. I have other things to deal with."

"Okay, but call her back, son. She's your mother."

I swear talking to him is like talking to brick wall. I quickly end the call and go find Ana. I don't have to search long because I hear Jose's voice in the kitchen. I approach, and Ana has her back to me, with her phone propped up on the kitchen island as she mixes a salad.

"You're fucking famous now, Ana. I knew it. I knew my day would come," I hear him say dramatically.

"Your day?" She asks.

"Yes, my day. It's only a matter of time before I get seen with you guys, and then I'll be famous too. It's about time. I was meant for this life. And gurrrl, I never knew you could kiss like that. Damn! You make this gay guy turn girl curious. You need to kiss me like that next time I see you."

I make myself known.

"I don't think so," I say as I put my hands on Ana's shoulders and kiss her neck.

"I told you he was possessive," he says.

"And you were right. Good bye," I say before ending the call. "You okay?" I ask while planting more kisses on her neck.

"I'm great. Keep kissing my neck like that and soon I'll be in ecstasy." I turn her around, so I can look at her face. She smiles at me before kissing my lips.

"Are you okay with the pictures and that video?" I ask, hoping that none of this will be a problem. "I know it's going to be a transition for you."

"Well, that's what I get for falling in love with Seattle's most eligible bachelor Dom. Jose's words, not mine. I'm fine with it. I told you I was in this, and I knew it was just a matter of time."

"You have to have your own security now. Things will be a bit different." I'm taken aback when she laughs.

"You know Jose is going to demand his own security, too? Ok, enough about Jose. This is all new to me, so whatever you need to do, do it."

"You're taking this pretty well, baby." I don't think she fully understand how her life change, but since I don't want to scare her away, I won't mention it.

"I told you I was in this. Ride or die, remember? Can we eat now? I'm starving. I made chicken, baked potatoes and a salad. You hungry?"

"I'm in awe of you, baby. Do you want me to set the table?" Please say no because it will take me half an hour to figure out where the dishes are.

"You can pick out some wine and I'll take care of everything else. I just love this kitchen. When I die, I want to be buried in this kitchen." I kiss her forehead and tell her no more talk about dying before I pick out a bottle of white wine.

After an evening of dinner with my girl, I take her upstairs and instead of blindfolding and spanking her, I strip her naked and worship her body with mine.

* * *

I slam my phone down and let out a string of expletives once I realize that I have to fly to Los Angeles in about an hour. I text Sawyer to let him know our plans and to have someone bring me an overnight bag, complete with two suits for tonight's meeting. I pray that I can fly back tonight and not have to spend the night away from Ana.

It's only ten in the morning and I feel like I've been here twelve fucking hours already. Ros gave me shit earlier for being so distracted since Ana came into my life, and she had the audacity to laugh her ass off at the fact that I spent time at Target. She even pulled out the recording of me and Ana kissing in the parking garage before reading all of the comments on twitter. # _Domgetsgirlfriend_ , # _thatkissisonfire, #thebillionaireandhisTargetRedcard_ are just some of the crap that she read out to me while laughing so hard she cried. I kicked her the fuck out of my office. I'd make her go to LA, but she's meeting with the board of another company in the office after lunch.

"Fuck!" I say again. I close down my computer, grab my laptop and briefcase before texting Sawyer to meet me at the café.

As soon as I step off the elevator, I see her. She has her back turned to me as she talks to a tall blonde. She's wearing a short black skirt and I admire her long legs as I approach her. She reaches over and hugs the blonde. They talk and laugh before the blonde pulls out her phone and shows Ana some pictures. I get there in time to see that what she's looking at. She goes through several pictures of a what looks like a two year old boy. There are several with just him, and some of him and the blonde, who I assume is his mother.

"Hey, baby," I say as I put my arm possessively around her waist and kiss her temple.

"Hey!" She turns and hugs me and plants a soft kiss on my lips. "I want you to meet my friend, Kate Kavanagh. We had some classes together freshman year. Kate, this is my boyfriend, Christian."

Kate offers me her hand, which I shake.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Grey," she says. She's about Ana's age, with green eyes. She gives me a small smile before pulling her hand away.

"Kate just had a job interview with the finance department," Ana says. It's then that I notice she's dressed in a very conservative blue pants suit with a crisp white shirt.

"Did you meet with Howard?" I ask her, and she nods.

"She was just showing me some pictures of her son, Jackson. Isn't he cute?" Ana asks before shoving Kate's phone in my face. The boy is cute. He looks nothing like Kate, so I assume he takes after his father.

"Listen, it was nice to see you, Ana, but Jackson has a doctor's appointment later so I have to run. I'm looking forward to next week, okay? I haven't been out in ages, so I can't wait." She gives Ana a hug, shakes my hand again before walking off.

"What's happening next week?"

"Just a night out. I have to keep busy since you'll be traveling next week." She says as she walks back towards the café. I follow her to the kitchen while Jose works the cash register.

She turns to look at me. I watch as she looks at me up and down, biting that sexy bottom lip that I love to bite so much. She steps closer to me, and I take her in my arms.

"Ana, you know you need security for that, right? You can't just take off on a whim anymore. I have to leave right now for LA, but there are some things we need to talk about regarding security. Can you go to my house after work? I'm not sure if I'll be home tonight or tomorrow, but there are some security measures we need to discuss. In fact, Taylor will be back from his honeymoon on Friday and I want him to talk to you about it with me. We also need to put a fence around your house and get you a security system."

She doesn't respond. Instead, she puts her arms around my neck and kisses me with everything in her. I kiss her back, sucking on her tongue.

"Mmmhmm. I love you, Christian Grey," she says against my mouth. "But I promised Jose we would go to a movie tonight. I was going to invite you, but I guess you won't be around." She kisses me again after she says that. She kisses me so deeply that I almost forgot what I came down here for. My dick got so hard, that I was about ready to push her against the wall, lift her little skirt and fuck her right here in this damn kitchen.

"Oh, please, no. Not in front of the food," I hear Jose say. We ignore him and continue to kiss. As subtle as possible, I grind my erection into her.

"G-Money, there's a very buffed security guy named Sawyer waiting for you out there. Is he the security that's going to be assigned to me?" Jose asks. Ana smiles against my lips.

"I told you," she whispers.

"No security for you, Jose," I say.

"Why not? There were about six reporters in front of the building this morning. Once they know about me, they'll be after me too." I resist the urge to roll my eyes at him.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," I say before turning my attention back to the beautiful woman in front of me. I push her against the wall and pin her with my body before kissing her again.

"What are you doing down here right now? You missed me?" She asks playfully.

"Every second that I've been away from you." I grab one of her legs and lift it against my hip. She jumps in my arms and wraps both legs around me. "Mhhmmm. I want you. Right here, right now."

"Don't mind me. Just pretend I'm not here," Jose says.

"Why do we have to pretend? Just get lost," I growl. I hear him mutter something under his breath before walking out of the kitchen.

I grind my hard dick into Ana as I kiss her neck, playfully biting her collarbone.

"If I had the time, I'd take you back to my office and make you scream loud enough for the entire building to hear. That way, every fucker will know you're mine."

"Every fucker already knows. We've gone viral, remember? How about another Target run tonight?" She says before shoving her hands in my hair and kissing me again, taking my bottom lip between her teeth.

"I'd love to but can't. LA, remember?"

"Fuck LA. I didn't approve of that." She says coyly.

"Sorry, baby, but I have to leave in a few minutes." She stops nibbling at my neck and removes her legs from around my waist, leaving me feeling empty. "After work, go to my house. You can watch any movie you want there or do whatever the fuck you want. I'm going to tell Jose he's free to join you. We'll talk security when I get back. All I ask is that you stay out of trouble for one night." I tell her this knowing that Jose won't miss the opportunity to hang out at my house.

"Jose heard you, and he's free. Who needs a fucking movie when we can have G-Money's house. This relationship is the best thing that's ever happened to me!" Jose yells.

* * *

 **1 WEEK LATER**

It's been one week of constant work and traveling. I was in LA for two nights instead of one. Friday after work, I grabbed Ana and we spent the entire weekend on my yacht talking, loving and fucking.

By the time I brought her home on Sunday, her move had been complete. She walked into a furnished house filled with new furniture and decorations. When we went into her brand new bedroom, she surprised me by pulling out a framed picture of us and putting it on her nightstand. It's one of the pictures we took when we went to Target. It's with her on my back, kissing my cheek.

She then pulled out an identical frame with the same picture and handed it to me, telling me it was for my office. I picked her up, threw her on the bed where I made love to her for hours, reveling at the fact that I spent the night at my girlfriend's house.

Unfortunately, I had to fly to North Carolina the next afternoon and won't be able to get home until tomorrow, which is Thursday. Being away from her for all this time doesn't bode well for my mood.

"Hey, baby," I say to her during our nightly Facetime chats. "Are you still going out tonight?" I know that she is because she's wearing makeup and her hair is in soft waves instead of a ponytail.

"Yup. Kate's been looking forward to it." Like I give a shit about what Kate wants. "By the way, she got the job! She works for you now." I had no idea since I only get involved with the hiring of executives, not rank and file employees like Kate.

"Please be mindful of security. And don't roll your eyes at me," I say to her.

"You remind me of security every day. I am mindful. Did I complain when you put that ridiculous fence around my house, blocking my view from my neighbor's yard? Or what about all of those damn cameras and that security system? Do I complain about them?"

"Yes, you do. You just complained now. And if you're referring to your neighbor, Jake, the friendly widower, you let him know the next time he tries to hug you, I'm going to beat the shit out of him."

"I'm not going to have the Jake discussion again, Christian. I think you're being over the top, but I told you to do whatever you want when it comes to security. I just miss you and want you to come back to Seattle now." My heart melts when I see her pout. The truth is, she's been great with all the changes. There are a few reporters on her street every day, but it's been pretty quiet, especially since I've been traveling so much. They've only been able to get a few pictures of us for the past few weeks. Ana has Prescott with her, but Taylor is interviewing a male CPO for her as well.

"I miss you, too. I'll be home to you tomorrow. Just please be careful tonight. You're all set for the Mile High Club, okay? Prescott and Ryan will escort you. Is it just you, Kate and Jose?" It better be because that's what I told Taylor.

"Kate might bring one of her coworkers. I think her name is Madison Barr, if you want to do a background check on her."

"And when were you going to tell me this?" I snap at her.

"I just did, Christian! Why are you so cranky?"

"Because I fucking miss you, and I'd feel better if you just stayed home tonight. I can take you and your friends out when I get back."

"It's girls' night."

"Then why the fuck is Jose going?"

"Because he's like one of the girls. We'll be fine. You're making a big deal out of nothing. The whole thing has blown over." If only it would. "Now, what time can I expect you tomorrow? I miss you so much."

"I'll be there by eleven o'clock. I'm coming straight to the café."

"Coming. That sounds good. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Just then, I see Jose step into her bedroom. He stands behind her and waves at me.

"I love both of you, especially you, G-Money, for that bed and mattress. It's like sleeping on clouds. Now, we have to get going if we're going to pick up Kate. So, hurry up and have phone sex or whatever the fuck you guys do." He blows me a kiss and walks out of her room.

"Have fun, baby. Don't drink too much and please listen to Prescott and Ryan. I love you."

She tells me she loves me one more time before we end the call.

As soon as I toss my phone on the bed in my empty hotel room, it starts to vibrate. It's mom. I ignore it.

As predicted, dad calls minutes later.

"Hey, dad."

"Hi, son. I was thinking about a little barbeque at the house on Sunday. Are you and Ana free?" He sounds so hopeful that I hate to burst his bubble.

"No, we're not free."

"Oh?"

"Ana's having a housewarming party on Saturday. Her dad will be in town for the weekend, so we'll be spending time with him." I've never met a girl's father before, so I don't know what to expect. She assures me that he won't know who I am or know about the scandal. It was big news for months so I don't know how he won't know, but I hope she's right. If she's wrong, I guarantee he'll misunderstand the lifestyle and won't want me anywhere near his daughter.

"A party on Saturday, you say? That sounds like fun." Is my dad fishing for an invitation to Ana's party? "With your mother working, I'll be all alone at home." He sure is.

"Do you want to stop by, dad? I'll ask Ana, but I don't think she'll mind."

"Oh, I wasn't fishing for an invitation, but if you insist, I'll be there. Just text me the time and location. Feel free to bring Ana's dad over on Sunday. We'd love to meet him."

"Who's we, dad?"

"Me and your mother, of course." I swear to God!

"Really? According to your wife, he's just a carpenter. Did you not see the video of your wife in action? I want Ana's dad to like me, and I already have the deck stacked against me, but now you want me to introduce him to your wife?" I ask my father angrily. I'm tired. I'm lonely, and I miss my woman. I don't need to deal with my father's bullshit on top of everything else.

"Your mother, Christian!" He says back just as angrily. "My _wife_ happens to be your _mother._ Has she made some mistakes? Yes, but that doesn't make her stop being your mother, and that doesn't make us stop being a fucking family. Maybe if you took her damn calls instead of avoiding her, she could explain herself. Now, your brother won't take her calls either. She misses her grandson."

"There's nothing to explain, dad. Nothing. She misses her grandson now? The same one she's ashamed of? Give me a break."

"She's not ashamed of him! Don't put words in her mouth. She loves him, and he loves her. It's unfair of Elliot to keep him from her."

"And is it fair of your wife to keep reminding my brother of how EJ came into existence? Look, we can go back and forth all night, dad. I really don't want to do that. I'd love to see you on Saturday, and I know Ana would love to introduce you to her dad. Maybe next weekend, we can have a guy's day on the yacht." I refuse to call the yacht The Grace.

"I'd rather have a family day on _The Grace_." The way dad enunciates The Grace tells me he knows exactly what I'm doing.

"Dad, I really don't want to do this right now. If you want to see me, Elliot and EJ, we'll be at Ana's on Saturday. I'll text you the address after I talk to her. Good night."

"One more thing, son."

"What?" I say, clearly annoyed.

"I know you're nervous about meeting Ana's dad, but it will be okay. He's going to love you." If only.

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm a father. If Mia brought home a guy who looks at her the way you look at Ana, I'd love him instantly. And Ana looks at you the same way. It's going to be fine, son."

I close my eyes and feel a little ashamed at the way I just talked to him.

"Thank you, dad. That means a lot."

"It's the truth. I'm proud of you and I love you, son."

"Love you, dad."

I end the call before he can respond. I kick off my shoes and throw myself on the bed fully clothed. It's only eleven o'clock and I plan on working until I know Ana is safe at home, but the conversation with Carrick has exhausted me. I decide to close my eyes for a few minutes before getting up to work.

A loud banging on my door jolts me awake. For a second, I forgot that I was in North Carolina for business. I look at the clock next to my bed and see that it's already one in the morning.

"Fuck," I mutter to myself as I stumble out of the bed.

"Boss. Open the door. It's about Ana," I hear Taylor say from the other side of the door. I open the door and he walks right in.

"What the fuck happened? Is she okay?" I ask panicked.

"She's fine now, boss."

"Now? What do you mean she's fine now? When the fuck wasn't she fine? Everyone employed at the Mile High Club knew she was coming. No one else was to have access to her VIP section." I pull on my hair as I wait for Taylor to speak.

"Have you looked at your phone, boss?" I look at the damn thing and notice it's dead.

"It's dead. Just tell me what the fuck is going on." As I wait for Taylor to start talking, I put my phone on the charger and wait for it to come on.

"First, Ana didn't go to Mile High. She went to this little dive bar called Eli's. It's in a sketchy part of town. Apparently, Ana and Jose are regulars there, and tonight was 90's and early 2000's hip hop night." I palm immediately starts to twitch. How many times did I tell that damn woman to take her ass to The Mile High Club? I even made all the arrangements for her. All she had to do was show up and receive first class service, but instead she goes to a piece of shit like Eli's. That's the place she wanted to go to the first time I took her and Jose to The Mile High Club.

"Go on, Taylor," I say urging him to continue as I picture all the ways I'm going to punish Ana for this.

"Well, someone recognized her and started tweeting pictures of Ana and her friends. Eli's was soon over crowded, and some guy tried to touch Ana. Ryan ended up punching him in the face, while Prescott escorted Ana and her friends out the back door. Ana's fine now, but she's pretty shaken up. There are several photos of her on the internet already. There's speculation that you guys have broken up since she's slumming, as they put it." My phone suddenly comes back on, and I pick it up only to find picture after picture of my girlfriend wearing the shortest little black dress I've ever seen. There are some of her, Jose, Kate and some other girl dancing. There's one of her with some guy's hand on her waist as Prescott is grabbing her hand. I assume that's when she rushed her out the back door.

"It was pandemonium for a while at the club. The police were called, but everyone is fine."

"Why the fuck did Ryan and Prescott agree to take her there? I told everyone the Mile High Club, not some piece of shit called Eli's."

"Ana insisted, boss. She told them they are instructed to take her wherever she wants." I did tell her that. I didn't realize how soon those words would be biting me in the ass.

"Ryan and Prescott are as good as fucking fired. I want to do it personally." I grab my phone to call Ana.

"There's more, sir."

"What the fuck now?" I say as I dial Ana's phone, only for it to go right to voicemail.

"Remember that date Ana had with Adam Greenberg? Well, he's tweeted all of their text messages. It's all tame, but in one of them, he told her he couldn't wait to kiss her. Her response was neither can I."

"Adam? The date you and Gail crashed? Have someone pick him up and bring him to my office tomorrow. Anything else?"

"There was some kind of online dating profile of Ana's that became public tonight. I guess she has a profile with Match."

"What the fuck did you just say?"

 **A/N: Sorry for the long delay. I've been so busy since my last update. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I apologize for any typos in advance. I really struggled with this one, so please let me know your thoughts. How much trouble is Ana in? I don't think she's met a truly pissed off Christian Grey yet. Until laters.**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

All credit to ELJ

ANA

"Tell me again what he said when he finally got your ass on the phone last night?" Jose asks for the hundredth time since last night. What a fucking disaster that was. What started out as a great night with friends, including Kate, whom I haven't hung out with since freshman year, turned into a fucking nightmare.

"He asked me about ten times if I was okay, and whether or not that guy touched me inappropriately. I told him no, and that things got out of hand when someone started live tweeting about me being there. I told him everything that happened. How Eli's became over crowded, how everyone wanted a selfie with me, and the personal questions people were asking about our relationship."

"What did he say?"

"Not much. He listened and would grunt here and there, but nothing. He told me to get some sleep and that we'd talk when he got back." I let out a breath in an attempt to mask my nervousness from Jose.

"Have you heard from him since? Last week when he was traveling, he called you every damn hour."

"Nope. Not a peep." Jose is right. Last week when he was out of town, he called me every morning. On the day he was flying back to Seattle, he called right when he boarded the plane and texted me as soon as he landed. It's a quarter to eleven, and he said he'd be at GEH at eleven, but I still have not heard a word from him. I called at about fifteen minutes ago. His phone rang several times until his voicemail picked up.

"Well, he's hella pissed, Ana. You were lucky last night, but things could have been much worse," Jose says as we begin to get ready for the lunch rush.

"Why would he be pissed at me? I'm the victim."

"Because we were supposed to go to The Mile High Club, not Eli's. Don't play dumb with me, Anastasia. I warned you."

"You warned me? You're the one who told me about 90's hip hop night to begin with. Am I mistaken, or was that you shaking your ass on the dance floor with me, Kate and Madison?" I say a bit irritated.

"Have you seen my ass, Ana? Of course, I'm gonna shake it, girl! Besides, I just mentioned it to you. I didn't mean for you to change everything."

"Well, we were having a great time."

"Yeah, until all hell broke loose. I knew we shouldn't have done it."

"You just wanted to go to The Mile High Club so you can drink free champagne."

"Hells, yes, I did, bitch! And I wanted table service in the VIP section just like last time, courtesy of G-Money. What's wrong with that? He arranged that for you, so you can have a nice night out." Jose has the nerve to sound exasperated with me.

"There's nothing wrong with it, but we're not Mile High people, Jose. We've been going to Eli's for years, and to be honest, until last night, I felt comfortable there. That's where I belong, not Mile High," I say to him.

"That's bullshit, Ana. If you're going to be with this man, you have to leave that sort of thinking behind because G-Money sure as hell won't be hanging out at a place like Eli's. I love you, girl, and I love the fact that you embrace who you are. You're not the social climbing type, but you fell in love with Seattle royalty, and it's foolish for you to think that you can keep your same lifestyle. You don't have to lose who you are, but you're going to have to embrace who _he_ is. People know who you are now. You have to live a certain way and the sooner you realize that, the better off you'll be, okay?" He says to me as he pulls out ingredients to make sandwiches.

"I don't know how to do that and not lose myself," I admit.

"You can never lose who you are. You're too sweet and too good. And the man loves you to death. I can tell. He doesn't want you to lose who you are. Didn't he take your ass to Target last week? You can still be a teacher. You can still spend time fishing in Montesano with your dad. You can still live with your gay BFF. We can still dance to 90's hip hop, but you'll have to do all of that with extra care now. That's all. You will adapt just like you always have. Don't overthink it, gurl. Now, hand me some mayo." I reach for the bottle of mayo and hand it to him.

"So, he didn't say anything about the texts from Adam or about your dating profile?" I bite my lip and shake my head.

"What do you think that means?" I ask him.

"Knowing him, it means he was too angry at the time to mention it."

"Fuck. That's what I was afraid of. So, what do I do, Jose?"

"Listen, Ana. I know you're new to relationships, but there is one sure way to get back in his good graces. I guarantee it. Do you want me to tell you what it is?" I feel a sense of relief at the fact that my friend knows the answer to my problems.

"Yes! Tell me," I beseech him.

"Suck hard."

It takes me several seconds to get his meaning. He starts to laugh uncontrollably at my reaction. I take a hand towel and toss it at him.

* * *

"Ana." I look up to find Jason standing in front of me. The line the café has been quite long, and I didn't even notice Jason standing there.

"Hey, Jason. I see you're back." I don't say anymore, unwilling to let on that I haven't heard from Christian all day today. I'm sure he knows, but I won't admit it.

"Boss is in his office. He wants me to bring you up there."

"He's here? He was supposed to stop by the cafe. I can't leave in the middle of lunch," I say.

"I'm afraid you have to. Come on, Ana," Taylor says rather stoically.

"Go, Ana. Don't ruin this for us. I'll tell Rosie to come out here and take orders," Jose says without even looking at me.

Due to the long line, I decide not to make a scene and follow Jason to the elevator.

"So, he's sitting up there on his iron throne and he summons me? Who the hell does he think he is?" I say angrily to Jason. He remains stoic and doesn't even move a muscle. I cross my arms for the rest of the elevator ride to the twentieth floor.

A disturbing thought took over. What if he's sick of me and wants to just tell me goodbye? I shrug the painful thought away. It won't be the first time someone I love abandons me. I'll be just fine.

The elevator opens to the twentieth floor, and Andrea gets in as soon as we get out. Jason walks me to Christian's office and leaves without another word.

I walk through the door to find the man standing with his back to me as he looks out the window. He's in a navy blue suit today. The jacket spread out over his back muscles just perfectly. The urge to run across the room and jump on his back like I did at Target overtake me, but I suppress the urge. I'm sure it would be unwelcome.

To get his attention, I slam his door as hard as I can. He doesn't even flinch. I walk up to his desk and wait for him to turn around and address me. I cross my arms across my chest and wait for him, not saying a word.

I stand there for what feels like an eternity, and he still hasn't turned around. I clear my throat as loudly as possible. I see his body tense before he slowly turns to finally acknowledge me.

I'm so angry that do a mock curtsy. He raises his eyebrows at me before he slowly comes to stand in front of me. His eyes appraise me. He takes both of his hands and puts them on my hips. He lifts the white shirt I'm wearing and looks at my waist, looking for signs of injury from where I was touched last night.

"Are you okay?" He asks. I will myself not to roll my eyes. I simply nod. He grabs my face with both hands and plants a soft kiss on my lips before quickly stepping away.

"I'm glad you're okay, baby, because if you had just one tiny bruise on your body, I was going to burn down this entire fucking city." He speaks softly, but I involuntarily take a step back. His rage is at the surface. He's trying to keep it contained, but one wrong move, one wrong word, and it will detonate.

"I told you I was fine. Nothing happened," I say to try to assuage him.

"Nothing happened? That's not the information I got. From what I heard, a shit ton happened. I want to know why the fuck you lied to me about going to The Mile High Club like we talked about? I need to understand this brilliant idea of yours to go to some piece of shit hole in the wall replete with danger. Please, enlighten me."

I cross my arms, immediately going on the defensive.

"I didn't lie to you. When I said I was going to The Mile High Club, I planned on going there. After we got off the phone, I found out about 90's hip hop, so we went there instead. I've been there dozens of times. I'm a regular there, and it's not replete with danger."

"Past tense. You were a regular there," he says to me with an arrogant smirk.

"Like hell. What happened wasn't my fault, Christian. I wanted to have a good time with my friends, and we went somewhere we've all been to before. I can't be responsible for how other people react."

He takes a step closer to me, but I take one back.

"You just don't get it, do you, Ana?"

"Don't get what?"

"That you can't just go off on your own anymore," he all but yells at me.

"On my own? When the hell was I on my own?" I yell back. "I had your security people with me, and I had three other people with me."

"The security is there for your protection. It works best when you don't volunteer to go into dangerous and precarious places. Places where men place their hands on you."

"So, it's my fault?"

"For him touching you? No. For you being oblivious? Yes," he says to me.

"Oblivious?"

"Yes! You still don't get it?" He yells. "Let me explain it to you. You have security. You will use it at all times!"

"When haven't I used it? I never said I wouldn't. I never objected to it even once!" I yell as I step closer to him. His gray eyes have turned almost black. The rage is no longer underneath the surface. It has spilled over. He angrily takes off his suit jacket and tosses it against his desk.

"Don't interrupt me, Anastasia. I wasn't done. You will not go to anymore unsafe places. I don't give a damn if you're a regular or not. If your security detail thinks it's unsafe, they will not take your ass there. If you tell me you're going to one place, you sure as hell better go to that one place because I had no fucking idea what went on last night until it was all over. That's not going to happen again. Just so we don't have any more misunderstandings, let me make it clear." He has his teeth clenched as he enunciates each word. "If you go to the grocery store. Security. If you want to go out to dinner, the drugstore, Neiman Marcus. Security. When school starts, and you need to go back and forth to classes. Security. Is that clear enough?"

"This speech would be so much more dramatic if you can tell me one time when I didn't have security. Oh, that's right. You can't," I say in an almost bored tone.

"Keep testing me," he says looking directly in my eyes.

"Or what? You're going to spank me? Well, I don't consent!"

"The way I'm feeling right now, you don't have to worry about me spanking you today, but the day will come. Mark my words."

"Delusional," I say to him.

"Lucid. Clear. And dangerous, Anastasia. I mean it."

"I can't go back to Eli's now? Because you say so? I agreed to a boyfriend, not a boss."

"Believe me, I know that, but my job is to keep you safe. I guess I have to keep you safe even from yourself now."

I scoff when he says that. I cross my arms and scoff again.

"And here I thought I was an adult. I've done a good job of keeping myself safe for the past twenty three years."

I see thunder clouds in his eyes then. He crosses the room in seconds and comes to stand in front of me. I'm so taken aback by his anger that I take a step back, but he continues to approach. I step back until I'm against a wall. He pins his body against mine.

"You did a fucking fantastic job last night, didn't you? It won't happen again." He's so close to me that I can't think to formulate a response. I try to push him off me, but he's doesn't even budge. Instead, he takes both of my arms and pins them above my head.

"Do you understand, Ana? Tell me that you understand," he says softly, his gray eyes locked with mine. "I guess I'm going to have to make you understand."

Before I can respond, he kisses me. It's a rough kiss meant to dominate me. The kiss is so intense that I know my lips will be bruised, and because he's been gone, and I've missed him, I kiss him back. When he lets go of my arms, I jump into his arms and wrap my legs around his waist. He holds he against his body as he continues to kiss me. We're interrupted when we hear a loud knock on the door. I jump out of his arms, and he goes and sits behind his desk in an attempt to hide the prominent bulge in his pants.

"Come in," he says and Jason walks in. I'm still panting when Jason drops a file on his desk. "He's here. Let me know when you're ready to deal with him," Jason says before walking out.

I watch as Christian opens the file and scans through the pages. He says nothing to me for several minutes as he studies whatever is in front of him. The lust I had for him a few minutes ago evaporates, and all I feel now is irritation. Irritation at being summoned to his office only to be treated like some wayward child.

"If we're done here, I'm going back to work," I say to him as I start walking towards the door.

"Don't mind me. I'm just reading the texts between you and your ex. Does the name Adam Greenberg ring a bell? Oh, I'm also looking at your dating profile from Match. You went all out for this picture. Your hair and makeup are flawless. There are dozens of emails from men expressing their interest." His tone is flat, but I know him well enough to know that he's extremely angry right now.

I turn towards him and walk to his desk and grab the file from him because he's got to be fucking kidding me! I look at the first page, and it contains texts between me and Adam. Before I can look at the other pages, he grabs it from me.

"How dare you, Christian Grey?" I seethe.

"I dare because this asshole made your conversation public. If you hadn't gone rogue on your security, this wouldn't have happened. Were you really going to kiss this fucker? Really? And this fucking dating profile? I'm surprised you didn't say you like long walks on the beach and romantic dinners, it's so cliché. Were you really going to start dating?"

"I never even communicated with anyone from the dating site. I set up a separate email for it and forgot all about it since we got together two days after I posted it. All of that happened before us. I removed my dating profile last night, so how the hell did you get it?" I speak calmly, but I can feel the anger just below the surface ready to explode.

"Like hell it happened before us. You went out with this prick the same day you left my house. After I told you I wanted you. What would have happened if Gail and Taylor hadn't been there? And your deleted dating profile? Easy for my people to get. And when you posted it, you knew how I felt about you. I told you I wanted to take you to China!"

"I was single, Christian. And you went away, said you'd be back in ten days, but you didn't come back. I thought you had changed your mind about us. That's the only explanation you're going to get. If I'm not going to hold your past against you, then you can do the same for me. If you can call a date and a dating profile a past. Are we done here?" I ask completely done with this conversation.

"We're done when I fucking say we're done! I think you need a crash course in who the fuck you're dating, so here it goes. Whatever you do now will be scrutinized. People will look for anyway to exploit you. Case in point, Adam Greenberg. You really knew you to pick them, Anastasia." I clench my fists at his condescending tone. And the fact that he knows I don't like to be called Anastasia makes my anger escalate even more.

"Is that part of the crash course? You're going to teach me how to pick them? Who's going to teach you because I can pull up multiple YouTube videos of women exploiting _you_." I think that was the wrong thing to say because his eyes darken and I can see the muscle in his jaw clench.

"Careful, Anastasia. I'm not in the mood. My PR team will put together a brief statement about this crap tomorrow. You'll need to look at it with me before it's approved. I'll clean up the mess with Greenberg and make sure he never runs his mouth anymore. I never want to think about that damn dating profile again. As for Eli's and places like it, you will stay away. In the future, if you say you're going to one place, I expect you to go to that place. Understood?"

"What do you mean new security?" I ask.

"Ryan and Prescott are out. They compromised your safety."

"What? You told me that they could take me where ever I wanted! They were just doing their job, and they got me out of there. It's unfair of you to punish them because of me. And as for Eli's, the girl you fell in love with loves Eli's, so you'll have to get used to me going!" I yell.

He laughs. He actually fucking laughs at me.

"You can't go to Eli's if it doesn't exist. Eli's is no more," he says nonchalantly, with a shoulder shrug.

"What do you mean Eli's is no more?"

"It means what I fucking said. It's gone. Shut down."

The rage I've been suppressing is about to bubble over.

"How?" Is all I can manage to ask.

"I bought it and shut it down. End of story."

I take two steps and stand directly in front of him, fists clenched at my side.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Not a damn thing is wrong with me, baby. Your safety was compromised at that shitty place. Eli's is no more. It's pretty simple, really," he says. He looks down at his hand and rubs the back of his nails against his suit jacket as if this conversation is so insignificant.

"Are you out of your damn mind? What about all of the other people who love Eli's?"

"I promise you, I'm in my right mind." He takes a step towards me, puts a piece of hair behind him ear and tenderly rubs my cheek. "Admittedly, I didn't take into account the other patrons," he ways as he caresses my face. I wait for him to see reason and to admit that his stance on Eli's is completely ridiculous.

"But you know what, Ana?" He asks as he drops his voice to a whisper. He leans in and gives me a soft peck on the lips. "I give absolutely zero fucks about the other patron! If I could give less than zero fucks, I would." He leans in for another kiss, but I step out of his reach.

"You controlling jerk!" I yell back at him as I walk towards the door. Just before I reach it, Jason opens the door and walks in.

"Did you know you work for a controlling jerk, Jason!" I yell. I turn back towards Christian who is now sitting behind his desk with a smug look on his face. "All hail King Christian, king of the jerk people!" I yell again before doing an exaggerated fake curtsy before working back towards the door. I see Taylor trying to suppress his laughter, but I'm too angry to deal with him now.

"Your controlling jerk now, baby! I love you!" I hear him yell before I slam the door with all of my strength.

* * *

I finally throw the rag away after wiping down the counter in the kitchen. I move about at lightening speed as I grab my bag, ready to get the hell out of GEH and away from that controlling jerk.

"He should piss you off more often. This place has never looked so clean," Jose says. "Remember you said I could have the house to myself tonight. I invited Floyd over for dinner."

I roll my eyes at him. I expected to spend the night at Christian, so I told Jose I'd be gone tonight, but now I want to be as far away from Christian as possible.

"Fine. Whatever." I say. I'll have to figure out something to do. "That's not for hours, though. I'll be out before he comes over. Let's get out of here."

"Where's your security?" He asks. "I can't believe he'll be fine with you getting in my ten year old car."

"You don't see anyone here, do you?" I grab my backpack and make my way out the kitchen and almost bump into Jason.

"Ms. Steele," is all he says. Since when have I ever been Ms. Steele to him?

"Ms. Steele? Really?"

"I've come to escort you home."

"Oh, shit, Ana! He's upgraded you!" Jose shrieks.

"Did he really fire Ryan and Prescott?" I ask.

"I managed to talk him out of that, but it was close. I'm going to be with you for the time being," he says.

"Fine. You can take me home," I say.

"You told me I could have the house tonight, Ana! Just go to the damn mansion and make up with him," Jose yells. "Or don't make up. Be angry in the hot tub or whatever, just let me have the house for tonight."

"Fine. Gail can finally show me those honeymoon pictures."

* * *

I'm sitting in the back of the Audi as Jason drives us. He keeps looking at me through the mirror.

"You okay, sweetie?" He asks.

"Irritated, but fine."

"You know he just worries a lot. Things could have been a lot worse last night. He'd wrap you up in shrink wrap if he could," he says.

"He's an ass," is all I say and Jason snorts.

"Things are different for you now, Ana."

"I know. I know that now. Look, I'm not used to all of this. You know that about me, right? I will admit to you that until last night, I didn't fully understand this new lifestyle at all. I thought I could continue to live how I always lived but just with a bodyguard. I didn't take into account that people like Adam would try to exploit me and that everyone would try to get to me. I get it now, though."

"Good, but did you tell him that?"

"I didn't get a chance. He acted like a controlling jerk," I say.

"Well, you might want to tell him what you just told me, okay? He's not used to this either. He's learning, too. He loves you so much. He has for months, and the thought of anything happening to you terrifies him."

"But to buy Eli's and shut it down? Extreme, right?" I ask.

"Not for him, it's not. Don't worry about that. Eli was eager to sell so he can retire to Florida."

I snort at that.

"That's just throwing money away. If he wasn't being so damn controlling, I would have told him I'd stay away from Eli's. I only doubled down because he was being so unreasonable."

"So, you responded by being just as unreasonable?" He asks.

"I couldn't get a word in, Jason!" I say.

* * *

Hours later, after Gail has finished making dinner, I'm sitting in her kitchen table looking at pictures of their honeymoon while Taylor sips iced tea. He's been watching me like a hawk since we left GEH, so he takes his job seriously.

"I can't believe you guys went to Spain and Greece. I'm so jealous," I tease.

"It was wonderful, Ana. I had a great time, but I know Jason was eager to get back home and get back to work. That man can't relax for a minute," Gail says.

I look at Jason and he just shrugs.

"There's only so much lying around I can do," he says as he texts on his phone.

I go to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. As soon as I grab my water, I hear footsteps. Knowing exactly who it is, I keep my back turned to him as I drink my water.

"Hey, baby," he says as if nothing happened a few hours ago. "Let's go home and have dinner. I'm starving."

"I'm having dinner here with Gail and Jason. I'm spending the night here, too," I say without even looking at him. I never even asked Gail and Jason if I could stay here tonight, but I'm still so angry at Christian.

"I guess you didn't pay any attention to that crash course I gave you earlier." Before I can respond, he picks me up and throws me over his shoulder, slaps me on the ass and walks out of the house. As if I weigh nothing, he walks us through the meadow, into his own house, through the giant house and into his bedroom where he throws me on the bed.

 **A/N: Sorry for the longer than usual delay. I hope you enjoyed chapter 16. As always, thank you for reading and reviewing. Until Laters.**


	17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

ALL CREDIT TO ELJ

CHRISTIAN

"And here I thought I was being reasonable in dealing with this entire situation, but I guess I was too nice. What is your problem?" I ask as I pull my suit jacket off and throw it across the room.

She gets out of the huge bed and stands up.

"I can ask you the same question. What's your problem? Why do you think you can just summon me, and order me around?" She asks.

"Are you still on that?" I say incredulously. Her eyes widen, and she crosses her arms at my audacity.

"It just happened a few hours ago, Christian. I'm supposed to just get over it?"

"Frankly, yes! Last night shouldn't have happened, and I made sure it won't happen again. That's all I did. That's how I deal with things. When there's a problem, I fix it."

"Christian, I will admit that I didn't handle things right last night. I'll tell you what I told Jason. Until last night, I didn't understand how things would change for me. I thought I could continue to live just like I always lived, just with a couple of shadows. I had no idea that people would have this much interest in me, but I get it now. I do, but the way you talked to me was not acceptable. I didn't appreciate being summoned and treated like a child. And I don't want to fight with you. I really don't. I grew up in a house where all my parents did before they divorced was fight. I don't want that in my own relationship," she says, shoulders sagged. I can feel the sadness coming from her. I grab her hand and open the French doors to the patio off my bedroom. I know how much she loves it our there, so I walk us to the loveseat and seat her on my lap.

I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her to me. When she doesn't try to fight me, I kiss the side of her neck, the sensitive area between her shoulder blade.

"I don't want that type of relationship either. I love you. I love having you with me, and I panicked when I heard about what happened last night. I don't want anything to ever happen to you. I just want you safe." I brush the hair off her forehead before planting a kiss there.

"I don't want anything to happen either. It was unnerving last night. If you had talked to like a normal person, I would have told you that I made a mistake and I just didn't understand. I didn't mean to worry you."

"I'll try not to fly off the handle in the future."

"And was buying Eli's really necessary? Seems like overfill and a waste of money, if you ask me," she says.

"That place is a health hazard. Now, that I don't regret doing. The state should have shut it down years ago. I just want you to be-,"

"Safe," she interrupts. "You just want me to be safe. I get it." She gets up from my lap and stands up. "Let's have dinner." She starts to walk towards the door. I stand up quickly and grab her arm and turn her around to face me. Her beautiful face is devoid of any expression, but I can tell she's still upset. It's not the fiery rage that she had earlier, which I admit kind of turned me on.

"What happened to my little firecracker from hours ago? I kinda liked her," I say as I finally get a small smile from her. All of a sudden, her eyes fill with tears. She tries to push out of my arms, but I drag her back to the loveseat and sit her on my lap again. I hold her against me for several moments.

"What is it, siren? Talk to me," I plead.

"It's nothing. I'll be fine." She tries to get up again, but I don't let her. "I thought you said you were hungry?" She asks as she once again tries to get away from my grasp.

"Hey, we agreed to be open with each other. What's bothering you? Are you still mad at me for being a controlling jerk?" I push her hair off her forehead and plant a soft kiss there. I smile at her, but she barely smiles back.

"It's not about that, though you've been a big jerk today."

"I admit to being a jerk, but I was across the country and felt completely out of control over the situation. I just don't want anything to happen to you. When I'm here and we're together, it's easy. I can hold you, kiss you, touch you and watch over you. I won't ever let anything happen to you, but when I'm thousands of miles away, I have so little control and I lose rational thought. I know it can be irrational, but that's how I feel and that's how I love you. I'll do away with the jerk tendencies in the future. Can you accept that?" I ask.

"Of course, I can. And I have," she says simply.

"So, if that's not the problem, what is it? What's going on?"

She sighs but makes no more moves to get away from me.

"I'll admit again that I handled yesterday wrong, but please don't buy anymore places because of me."

"I can agree to that, but you still haven't told me what else is bugging you."

"All my parents ever did was argue and have affairs on each other. Then, Carla left and I stayed with Ray. He provided a roof and basic necessities, but he was either working or chasing women. He was hardly ever home, so I did whatever I wanted. Looking back now, it's a good thing I've always been a bit of an introvert, otherwise I could have gotten into some serious trouble. What I'm saying is that I've never in my entire life had to answer to anybody. Well, other than Jose, but we grew up together so that's different. Nobody ever cared what I did, or about me. So, seeing you react the way you did is new. I've never been in a relationship before, so I don't know what to expect."

"I've never been in a relationship like we have before either. I feel like a fish out of water, too, but what I do know is that I'm crazy in love with you. I'd go insane if anything happened to you. I don't want you to be exposed the way I was, and when that asshole posted your text messages, it brought all that shit back that I had to deal with. No one is going to do that to you. I don't want to lose you, baby. I don't want our public life to scare you away. Part of my reaction was fear," I admit. She looks at me, locks eyes with me and smiles a genuine smile for the first time.

"You're not going to lose me. I'm here and I'm crazy about you, even though you're a massive jerk. You're my jerk. I'm not going anywhere." She rests her head on my shoulder. "I'm yours."

"And I'm yours. I've been since I first saw you on that rainy day in March. Fate brought you to me," I tell her.

She rolls her eyes.

"You think so? I'm not even supposed to be here," she says, her voice strained.

"What do you mean, baby?"

She hesitates and before she can speak, I interrupt her. "Don't tell me it's nothing. What do you mean you're not supposed to be here? You know I always want you here, right?"

"I know that. I wasn't talking about here as in this house. I mean, I wasn't supposed to be born. Part of the reason I was estranged from Carla is because-" she stops talking and her eyes fill with tears. I hug her to my and rub soothing circles around her back as she cries softly.

"Shhh, baby. It's okay. It's okay," I say into her hair. "Let it out." She cries for a few more minutes until her breathing levels out. I feel her wipe the tears from her eyes, but she still doesn't look at me. Her head remains on my shoulder.

"I've never told anyone about this," she says softly.

"You can tell me. I'll never tell your secrets."

She takes another deep breath before she starts talking.

"What I told you about the estrangement between me and my mother is true, but there's more. When I went to her hotel the day after she made the scene at my graduation barbeque, we got into a huge argument just like I told you. In the heat of things, she said that she tricked my biological dad. She said he was in the military and she wanted his benefits, so she got pregnant with me on purpose. He married her just like she planned. She said she just wanted to be a military wife and live off him, but then he went and died." Her voice breaks and I feel her wipe away more tears. "She called me an ungrateful brat and said getting pregnant with me was the worst mistake of her life. It was as if she slapped me across the face. As soon as the words were out, she started to apologize. Even her husband was shocked. That's when I told her off and kicked her out of my life. It hurt so much to hear those words from my own mother."

I continue to rub soothing circles around her back as she cries in my arms, but for once in my life, I'm stunned speechless. If Carla Adams wasn't already dead, I'd track her down and kill her myself, but that's not what Ana needs to hear right now.

"Look at me, baby." She slowly moves her head from my shoulder and looks me in the eye. "What your mother said to you was terrible. There's no sugarcoating it, but you know what? I can't be mad at her because her scheming produced you, and you are the most beautiful person I've ever laid eyes on, and your physical beauty is only surpassed by your inner beauty. She said those words out of anger, and I know she regretted every day. You are loved by so many people, and I don't care how were created. You're here, you're wanted and you're loved. I love you so much. So fucking much that I will build a shrine to Carla and thank her every day for giving me you."

She finally smiles through her tears.

"Really?" She asks.

"Really. And I know you've never told anyone, but if you did, they would all tell you what I just told you. You're my everything. My more," I say as I grab her face and kiss her lips softly. I mold my lips to hers, tasting her tears.

"You're the first person who has ever made me feel this loved, this wanted," she says against my mouth.

"You have no idea how much I love and want you. Let me show you," I say to her. I take both of her hands and place them on my chest. Her eyes widen, and she tries to move her hands away, but I hold them in place. "I want you to touch me. You're the first person I've ever wanted to touch me. You were made for me. Do you remember what I told you? I'm not letting you go. You're mine."

"I'm yours, and I don't want you to let me go," she says against my mouth. I let go of her hands and allow her to freely touch and explore my chest. Her hands glide up to my shoulders, her eyes silently asking for permission. I can only now. Her hands are warm against my body, my shirt still a barrier between us. I stand both of us up and walk back into the bedroom, closing the French doors behind us. I start to unbutton my shirt, but Ana quickly takes over and I let her. Soon my shirt and tee shirt are off and I get to feel her soft hands on my skin. My heart rate accelerates as she touches me on my no go zones. I feel goosebumps all over my body as her hands roam my body.

"Only you can do this to me, baby. You mean so much to me," I say before I capture her lips again. After our fight today, my plan was to take her in here, spank her ass red with my riding crop, but that's not what she needs now. She needs tenderness. I quickly strip her out of her work uniform and admire her naked body. I cup her breasts and pinch her pink nipples between my thumb and index finger.

She moans in my mouth, and then I feel her hands on my belt buckle. Soon, my pants are off and her hands are wrapped around my hard shaft. She flicks her thumb over the tip, wiping away some pre-cum and licking it, causing me to groan loudly. Unable to wait another second, I scoop her up bridal style and carry her to my bed. I lay her down on her back before climbing on top of her.

I kiss her mouth, her neck, her breasts, her shoulders. I lower myself a bit and kiss her sternum, followed by her naval. I gently bite her soft skin and she lets out a soft whimper. She strokes my hair before tentatively putting both hands on my shoulder.

"Touch me, baby. I'm all yours," I whisper. I feel her soft hands on my upper back. I get more goosebumps as her hands roam my neck and goes back into my hair just as I reach the apex of her thighs. When I lick her clit, she pulls my hair and softly calls out my name.

I inhale her scent as I lick, bite and suck her most secret place, reminding her over and over again that she belongs to me. I stick two fingers into her wet, slick pussy, and she arches her back.

"Christian," she says softly. "More."

I give her more. I fuck her with my fingers as I lick and bite her clit. Soon, she's convulsing and coming in my mouth. I lay on top of her, my dick now so hard, I'm ready to explode. She lays her hands on my shoulders before I kiss her roughly, making her taste herself on my tongue.

"More," I say as she touches me. Her hands touch my shoulders, back and ass. "More touching," I say, and she touches my chest. "More kissing," and she kisses my mouth. "More loving," I say as I grab her legs, bringing her knees to her chest and spreading her thighs as much as I can. Without anymore warning, I enter her in one stroke.

"More," she says as I start to fuck her. I started slow, but being unable to restrain myself anymore, I quicken the pace.

"More," I repeat. "I want more with you forever." No more words are said as I pound into her mercilessly. She climaxes again, and I quickly follow. All thoughts of dinner are forgotten as we make love over and over again.

* * *

 **DAYS LATER**

"Dudes," Elliot says as he puts an arm around my shoulder and one around Ana's shoulder. "My balls are so blue, they're purple," he whispers.

Ana blushes before she laughs, I push him off us in disgust.

"We don't care about your balls, Elliot," I say to him.

"Uncle Chrissy," EJ says as he grabs my shorts. I reach down to pick him up but he runs off so I can chase him.

"Listen, I know how you two can help with my situation," he says.

"Don't make me kill you, Elliot. We can't help you with your blue balls."

"Yes, you can. You and Ana can watch EJ next weekend so I can go to Vegas and buy myself the girlfriend experience." Ana chokes on her water and spits it out. I tap her back while giving Elliot the death glare.

"You need as entire weekend for that?"

"Fuck yeah."

"Fuck!" we hear EJ say. I turn around to see him standing behind me. He giggles, knowing he just said a bad word.

Just then, Taylor and Gail come out of Ana's house and into her yard where we are. We're all gathered here for her housewarming, and Taylor and Gail were being given a tour by Jose.

"Your highness," Taylor says to me as he does an exaggerated curtsy just like Ana did a few days ago. He and Gail both laugh hysterically, and Elliot looks at them confused. I roll my eyes, not wanting to explain. Ana blushes and laughs.

"Tay!" EJ screams as he runs to Jason, who quickly puts him on his shoulders.

"As I was saying, I'm sick of looking at you happy couples. I want the girlfriend experience, so I'll drop EJ off Friday night."

"Fine, but you think you're going to find what I have in Vegas? You can't meet a woman right here in Seattle? Preferably someone who isn't a prostitute?" I ask him.

"You don't think I've tried. It's hard when you have a kid. My son is a little cock blocker, and I'm so damn horny," he says. Gail rolls her eyes before taking Ana's hand and walking away.

"Horny!" EJ says.

"Dammit, Elliot. Watch what you say," I admonish him.

"Beep, beep. Horny like a horn on a car, EJ" Elliot says to his son.

"Beep, beep," he repeats.

"I'm going to take him away from you two," Taylor says as he takes EJ to the table where Gail and Ana are, and Taylor grabs some beers. EJ sits on Ana's lap. I watch as she absentmindedly kisses him on the top of his head as she continues to talk to Gail.

"I'm so jealous. How the hell did you get so lucky, Christian?" Elliot says, and I playfully punch him in the arm. "You guys doing okay? How's Ana handling being a celebrity?" He asks as Taylor hand each of us a beer.

"We're doing great. Bit of a learning curve, but she's okay now."

"His highness handled it," Taylor says.

"What the fuck is all this your highness bullshit?" Elliot asks. Taylor starts laughing again, but at least he doesn't curtsy this time.

Before Taylor can answer, Carrick comes outside with Jose, followed by Mia.

"My sons!" dad announces, hugging Elliot but only offering me a hand shake since he's aware of my boundaries. I shove his hand away, and surprise him by hugging him. He's so taken aback that he actually kisses my cheek.

"Meems," I say as I hug her. She hugs me back. Ana walks up to us and hugs Mia.

"The house is beautiful, Ana. Jose gave us a quick tour when we were inside," dad says as he makes a show of kissing the back of her hand and both cheeks.

"Hey, Mia," Elliot says, but Mia completely ignores him.

"Ana, the house is so cute. I love your decorations, and whatever you have cooking in there smells so good," Mia announces.

"That would be my cooking," Jose announces. "Ana has been too busy with a certain Mr. Grey to bother cooking for this party like we had planned."

"Hey! I made the drinks and some of the appetizers. And there's catering coming," Ana says defensively. That's my fault. Ana got the crazy idea that I would help her cook. She wanted to do some sorth brunch and lost her damn mind thinking that I would make French toast and omelets while she and Jose made the rest of the food.

I fucked her so deep and good that night that when she was coming off the high of her third orgasm, I told her I would arrange catering so she can enjoy her party. She was too tired to offer me anything but a single nod before she fell asleep.

"Ana, the caterers are here, sweetie. I'll help you. Come on," Gail announces, and Ana runs off. Soon, about half a dozen people are in her yard setting up the food.

"How have you been, Mia?" Elliot asks in another attempt to get Mia to talk to him.

"I'll go help Ana too," Mia says, ignoring Elliot completely.

"Grampy!" EJ says as he runs over to my dad. Dad picks him up and tickles him.

"My boy," dad says. "I've missed you."

"Where's grammy?" EJ asks, looking around for Grace. We all look away, leaving it to dad to tell EJ where his wife is.

"Grammy had to work, buddy. You'll see her soon," he says. Elliot and I both look at each other, neither of us commenting. I watch as Ana talks to someone on her phone, before she runs inside. Minutes later, out walks Katherine Kavanagh holding a little boy who looks to be about EJ's age.

"Holy shit! Who is that?" Elliot says.

"Shit!" EJ repeats.

"Elliot!" My dad chastises.

Ana walks over with Kate and the boy. I watch as Elliot's eyes practically pop out of his head. He looks at Kate from head to toe, licking his lips. She's exactly his type, too. She's wearing a tight black top with a pair of capri jeans.

"Christian, you remember Kate? Kate, this is Christian's brother Elliot, his father Carrick Grey and his son EJ." Kate shakes hands with everyone, and for once Elliot doesn't act like the clown that he is. He's actually quiet as he watches her.

"Nice to meet everyone. This is Jackson," she says but Jackson doesn't turn around. He has his head stuck on the side of Kate's neck. "He's shy," she explains.

"Jackson," Ana says as she takes him from Kate. He goes to her with surprising ease. "Do you want to meet EJ? Come on." She walks over, and the two toddlers look at each other.

"Hi!" EJ says quite loudly. "My grampy and Tay!" He yells pointing at Taylor from across the yard. When Taylor hears his name, he gets up and comes over. As he approaches, Jackson runs back to Kate and hides behind her legs.

"Taylor's ugly face has that affect," Elliot jokes.

"He just needs a few minutes to get used to everything, then he'll be running around here as if he owns the place," she says as she strokes his hair.

"Elliot, why don't you show Kate around the house?" Ana suggests. Elliot finally returns to form. He does a ridiculous bow, causing Kate to laugh.

"Come with me, my lady," he says, offering her his arm. She takes it and starts to walk with him as she holds on to Jackson's hand.

"Wait for me!" EJ says as he runs after his father. Elliot takes his son's hand and the four of them walk inside the house.

I watch as Ana watches them with a triumphant look in her eyes.

"Matchmaking, Ms. Steele?" I ask her.

"Who, me?" She shrugs.

"Yes, you," I say as I pull her to me and kiss her neck repeatedly.

"Good job, Ana," Carrick says, winking at her. "She's hot."

"Dad!" I say

"What? I'm old and married, not dead. I know a good looking woman when I see one," Carrick says.

"Ana! We need you!" Mia yells, waving Ana towards her and Gail. Ana starts to walk away, but I pull her to me and kiss her before I let her go. I watch her tight little ass walk away from me in a pair of torn skinny jeans.

My dad clearing his throat forces me to stop looking at Ana's ass.

"I'm glad to see my son so happy and I'm relieved Ana isn't put off by being in the limelight," dad says as I wait for him to bring up mother.

"Things have been great despite that little hiccup."

"Good. Good. I saw a couple of reporters across the street. Damn vultures. Where's her dad?" Dad asks.

"They're always around these days. Her dad is on his way. He should be here any minute. He had a last minute job he had to do this morning." Dad and I chat for several minutes about work. He wants us to go fishing one Sunday while the weather is still good and I agree, wondering if Ana will want to come.

Jose comes back outside with two people who I assume are his parents. He introduces me and dad to Jose senior and Maria.

"This is Christian Grey, mom and dad. Owner of GEH and our lease. Please watch yourselves," he says flamboyantly and he waves in my direction. I see his mom cross herself, but his father just laughs at his son. I remember overhearing Jose tell Ana that his mother is uncomfortable with his sexuality. His father seems to be fine.

"If after knowing you he hasn't kicked us out yet, we're safe. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Grey," his father says.

"It's just Christian. And this is my dad, Carrick," I say, liking Jose senior immediately. I'm not sure how I feel about his mom as she holds on tight to her rosary beads.

"Mijo, I brought your childhood bible for you. I talked to Father Sanchez and he wants you to come by and see him," she says softly.

"Let it go, Maria," his father says, his voice exasperated.

"He's my son, Jose! What about his soul?" She says. I look at dad, and he looks at me, shrugging his shoulders.

"What do you think a damn priest is going to do? He doesn't need an exorcism, for god's sakes. His soul is fine, and father Sanchez should worry about his own damn soul. We raised a good son, so leave him the hell alone!"

"Can we not do this here?" Jose junior asks. "You're embarrassing me!" He says while giving a fake smile. I almost want to laugh at the scene.

"Show us the house, son," his dad says.

"Come on. Floyd just got here," Jose says as he waves at Floyd. "I'll introduce you and show all three of you the house. G-Money, we'll eat as soon as Ray gets here." They start walking towards Floyd who is wearing pink pants that come to his ankles, a white muscle shirt and a pink jacket. The outfit is complete with a paisley ascot wrapped around his neck. When the Rodriguez's are introduced, Jose's mother reluctantly extends her hand as she looks Floyd up and down. Next, she does the sign of the cross on herself with one hand as she holds on to her rosary beads with the other. I wonder if the bible is inside that giant purse she's carrying.

"G-Money? What the hell is a G-Money?" Dad asks.

"Me, obviously, old man. Get with it," I say.

"Ok, G-Money. Listen, son," he says turning serious all of a sudden. "Before I leave here today, I need to talk to you and your bother. Your sister too, as a matter of fact. Your mother misses you guys and she misses EJ. We can't keep going on like this," he says.

"Dad, this is not the time. And we didn't cause this. Talk to your wife," I say.

He's about to say something when Elliot comes running back.

"Holy shit! Ana's friend is hot, and she's funny and smart too." He hands dad a beer

"That might be the solution to your blue balls problem, Elly," I say, reminding him of the nickname that he hates.

"His what?" dad asks. "Never mind. I don't want to know."

"Christian just likes to remind me that he's in a happy relationship and I'm not. He's an asshole like that."

"Christian, don't tease your poor lonely, single brother," dad teases.

"And horny. His brother is horny," Elliot says.

"Like I care about your relationship status. Am I still watching EJ this weekend or not?"

"Yeah, but Vegas is on hold for now. I might have other plans," he says as he looks back towards the house. "By the way, Ray Steele is inside. He's a nice guy," Elliot says.

"That's only because Ana says he won't know who I am. If he's aware about my past, he might not be so nice about me and his daughter."

"Don't worry, bro. If he starts any shit, I'll kick his ass for you. Or maybe Taylor will kick his ass. Ray Steele is a little on the big side."

"Ignore Elliot. Everything will be fine. Remember what I told you," dad says. Before I can respond, I see Ana walking out with her father. He's taller than I expected. Ana looks so tiny walking next to him. He's almost Taylor's height. He has broad shoulders and I see a tattoo poking out of his polo shirt sleeve.

It's funny to see EJ holding Ray's hand and pulling him towards me. I start to walk over and meet him halfway. To my annoyance, Elliot and dad follow me.

"Uncle Chrissy," EJ announces, pointing to me.

"Dad, this is my boyfriend, Christian. Christian, this is my dad, Raymond Steele." I offer my hand and he takes it, giving me a firm handshake. Ana also introduces him to Elliot and dad, and they all shake hands.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Steele," I say. "This is my brother, Elliot, and my father, Carrick."

"Come daddy. Come grampy," he says while grabbing Elliot's hand and pulling him away. Dad reluctantly follows after he and Elliot shake Ray's hand.

"It's just Ray, and it's nice to meet you, too." He studies me, his brown eyes laser focused on me. Not one to be intimidated by anyone, I stand tall, letting him look at me. I take the opportunity to openly study him as well. He quickly turns back to look at his daughter.

"You left out a tiny, little detail, Annie," he chastises. "You didn't mention that your boyfriend is Christian Grey."

Ana's eyes widen, and I give her an I told you so look.

"You know who Christian Grey is, dad?" She croaks out.

Raymond Steele laughs. He lets out a loud belly laugh before turning back to me.

"My daughter always thinks I live in the dark ages. Of course, I know who you are. Christian Grey, owner of Grey Enterprises Holdings" He asks.

"One and the same, Ray," I say.

"Annie, when you get a boyfriend, you really go all out." Ana blushes, but she reaches for me. I take her hand, put my arm around her and kiss her hair.

"I told you he'd know," I say in her hair. He hears me because he nods.

"My daughter might not believe this, but I know a lot of things. I know why she kept this from me," he says looking at me directly in the eye. Yup. He knows that, too. It doesn't matter, though, because his daughter loves me anyway.

"Because it's irrelevant and nobody's business," Ana say calmly. "And I refuse to discuss it any further."

Ray raises both hands in surrender.

"You're an adult, Annie. Despite all the crap me and Carla put you through, you're a very level headed adult. You don't need a lecture from me." Ray then turns to me and we start a conversation about fishing. I pull Ana even closer to me, and she wraps her arm around my waist.

"Enough fish talk," Ana says after several minutes. "Let's eat." As we walk over to the buffet, Jose comes storming out of the house with his parents and Floyd following behind him.

"Just listen to him, mijo," his mother says. I look past them and see a priest walking out of the house.

"Mother, I like to have sex with men. A priest is not going to fix that. Jesus Christ himself can't fix it. Let it go. What do you think Father Sanchez is going to do to change me? Nothing. I'm gay. Deal with it or not. It's up to you, but it's I'm not going to change," he says as he runs back into the house. Ana runs after him, and Floyd follows, probably looking for the nearest exit.

Everyone is stunned speechless as we watch Jose senior drag his wife to the side of the house to have a very heated conversation. Father Sanchez shrugs as he heads over to the buffet and starts fixing himself a plate.

We all stand there looking at each other, trying to figure out what do next.

"Daddy's horny!" EJ announces. "Beep, beep!" He says before he starts to giggle uncontrollably. For the first time in his life, Elliot is embarrassed. Kate is looking at him as she licks her lips. The tension is broken as everyone starts to laughs.

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Grace will be back soon. Until Laters.**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

ALL CREDIT TO ELJ

ANA

1 Week Later

"I can't say I like this part, Christian Grey," I say as I peruse The Nooz website.

"Why do you bother looking at that stuff, baby?" He asks as he rubs suntan lotion on my back on this unseasonably warm August Sunday.

"I can't help it. Between Mia, Kate and Jose, someone is always texting me a link to some picture. The Nooz has outdone themselves today, though. They need to get a life," I say as I look at the iPad. There are dozens of pictures of me and Christian from the past week. After my housewarming, they posted pictures of everyone who attended. There was an article stating that I'm feuding with Christian's mother because she's the only one of his immediate family who didn't come to the housewarming.

The Monday after the party, Christian had to fly to Miami for work and he invited me to go with him. At first, I told him there was no way I could go, but I think he still had cold feet about leaving me alone since the disaster at Eli's, so he insisted I join him.

Thankfully, Jose's father ended up staying for a few days after sending his mother home, so he worked at the café in my place.

"Let me see that," he says as he grabs the iPad from me. He motions for me to get up from the reclining chaise I was sitting in. I get up, he takes my place and motions for me to sit between his legs.

As I sit, he kisses the top of my head and holds the iPad in front of both of us.

"Most of them are from when we were in Miami. They're following us," I lament.

"They've been following me for years. It got worse after what happened months back, but it finally died down. Now that you're around, they're back to it again. This is all your fault, Ms. Steele," he jokes.

"Hardly. They only care about me because I'm with you. Look at these ridiculous headlines. ' _He kisses, she bites. Who's the read Dom_?' Are you kidding me?"

"You do bite a lot, and I love it," he says squeezing me to him.

We go through dozens of pictures of us kissing on the beach, at a nightclub in South Beach, in front of the Ritz Carlton and other places. There are several of me biting him on the chin, cheek, and one of me on his back and biting his left ear.

"That's because you taste so good," I tell him as I turn to face him, kissing him deeply before biting his lower lip and tugging it.

"You taste even better, baby. I want a little sample," he says as his hand travels into my bikini bottom. He rubs two fingers on my clit, lighting a fire in me before he quickly removes his hand. He makes a show of slowly licking them.

There is something about this man desiring me the way he does. Christian Grey, the most powerful man on the west coast, one of the most powerful in the country, wants me so much. He devours me with his eyes from across a room. Whenever we inhabit the same space, he's touching me. _Me_. The girl who no one has ever noticed is desired by someone like Christian Grey.

I slide my hand under his shirt and caress his chest, the area that no woman before me was allowed to touch. Not being able to get enough of my touch, he quickly takes off the shirt and tosses it aside. I turn in his arms and kiss and nibble his chest as my other hand lands on top of his shorts, feeling how hard his cock is for me. For _me_. It's a powerful feeling.

"And look at this headline," I say to him. ' _Touch me like you do'_ is written across the top of the page. There are dozens of pictures of us holding hands, him touching the small of my back. There are even a few with his hand on my ass, or very lose to my breast. There are some of him touching my face right before he kisses me.

"No, Mr. Grey," he says, mimicking my voice. "I don't want to be with you, Mr. Grey. I don't do the things you like, Mr. Grey."

"Don't make fun of the girl holding your dick, Mr. Grey," I say as I continue to fondle his cock with one hand, as I touch his chest with the other. "And you were intimidating."

"I was not. I was infatuated, but I tried my hardest not to intimidate you. You wouldn't even look at me most mornings," he says.

"Fake news. I looked at your ass and pictured you naked every time you walked away," I confess.

"You little freak. Undressing me with your eyes. I hope I lived up to your expectations."

"You're beyond my expectations," I say between kisses to his sternum.

"I told you it would be good," he says stroking my hair as I continue to kiss and touch his chest.

"Well, you lied about that. It's not good," I say.

"Excuse me?"

"Good? No. It's amazing. Extraordinary. Sensational. Astounding. Phenomenal. Unbelievable. Breathtaking. Need I go on?"

"It's all of those things for me too, but I knew it would be. You're my everything, baby. My entire world."

I kiss his chest again before looking up to meet his gaze.

"And you're mine. You want to hear a confession?" He nods.

"I had never heard of you until Jose's parents got a space in your building. Then, that's all Jose could talk about. He's the one who showed me those YouTube videos of those horrible women. So, if someone had told me back in March that I'd be here with you now, I would have had them committed," I say to him.

"You want to hear my confession?" He asks, and I nod.

"Seeing you at the counter was like a siren's call. I had not choice but to go to you. And then you looked up at me and smiled at me, and I felt like I was floating away. I knew right then that you were mine. You were made for me, Ana. I didn't know how to go about getting you to talk to me. I knew you knew who I was because you blushed and refused to make eye contact with me every day, but, baby, I'm convinced you knew you belonged to me, too." He bites down hard on my shoulder, causing me to do a slight jolt.

"Maybe I did know, but I didn't recognize it. I've never had those feelings before. I didn't understand our connection, and thought I knew all about you. I'm glad you didn't give up on me, because I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd probably be with that limp dick, Greenberg," he says, biting my shoulder again. I shudder at the thought.

"He probably would have bored me to death by now," I joke. "And you can't possibly be jealous of Adam when you've been with all of those beautiful women." Although those women were way before me, and I believe him when he says he's only ever cared for me, I can't have the stab of jealousy that takes over me as I think about his past.

"Why the fuck can't I be jealous?" He asks a little bit more irritably than necessary.

"Because nothing happened between us, unlike you and them," I say back, just as irritated.

"Except you wanted to kiss him! And I never cared about those women beyond our arrangement. Anything you would have done with that asshole would have been done with feeling. It pisses me off just thinking about that day. You out on a date with that fucker, and me at home losing my damn mind over it," he says.

"You do realize how crazy that sounds, right? You're pissed off over a date where nothing happened? The date that Jason and Gail crashed," I stop talking for a minute and run my fingers through his crazy hair as realization dawns on me. Why would be at home losing his mind over my date? He didn't even know about it? Right?

"Oh my god!" I yell out, moving out of his arms and standing up. "Did Gail tell you about my date? They did it on purpose! I knew it was too much of a coincidence that those two would show up at Buffalo Wild Wings of all places. Now, it all makes sense. How could you?" I fume.

"First of all, Gail didn't tell me. Jason did. And then I overheard you talking to Jose about it."

"Jason told you? I can't believe those two. They befriended me only so they could spy for you, didn't they?" I've come to really love Gail and Jason over the past several months, and the thought of them just using me for information to bring back to their boss hurts. "It all makes sense now. Gail pumping for information about my plans with Adam. She was always trying to talk me out of posting that online dating profile. The way she went on and on about how great you are the first time I came here. This was all for you. Wow," I say as I shake my head and walk back towards the house.

"It's not like that, baby," he says as he follows me inside. I yank the door open, walk through the kitchen and find my way upstairs into the bedroom and into the bathroom where I turn on the shower.

"Then how was it, Christian?" I ask.

"I didn't ask them to do any of that. Taylor picked up on my feelings for you when I started going to the café every morning. He does a check on everyone I come into contact with on a regular basis. He just went a little further with you. I think he wanted to help me, so he became your friend and then brought Gail into it," he offered as way of explanation.

"That way I can have a woman to open up to, so they can report it all back to you, right? Unbelievable." He actually has the audacity to blush.

"I was out of my element, and they helped. I didn't make them do it."

"You didn't tell them to stop, did you?" I ask as I take off my bikini. I put my hair up in a messy bun and step inside the massive shower and shutting Christian out.

He's inside the shower seconds later, wrapping his arms around me and pulling my back into his front, pressing his erection on my ass. He leaves trails of kisses on my neck before he gently bites my ear.

"Fuck no, I didn't tell them to stop. I could have done a background check and known every little detail of your life, but I didn't. I liked hearing about you from them. I liked seeing your blushing face every morning. And I was jealous as fuck hearing about your date, and you're lucky I wasn't the one who ended up at Buffalo Wild Wings because I would have beaten the shit out of that low life, Greenberg. Do you know why, Anastasia?" He says against my ear. I shiver, and even though the shower is scalding, I get goosebumps.

"Why?" I manage to croak out.

He shoves his hand between my legs and grabs my pussy.

"Because you were mine since the moment I laid eyes on you. _Mine._ I wasn't going to let Adam or anyone else get in the way of that. I was going to get you, and nothing and no one was going to stand in my way. Do you want me to apologize for that? I won't," I turn to face him, to tell him how arrogant he is, but when I turn to face him, all I see is the desire in his eyes. And there is no bigger drug than to be desired by Christian Grey.

He slams his lips on mine. I stroke his chest, the place only I can touch, as he continues to devour my mouth with his. I can taste all of him as I grind into his erection. I hear his soft moans as I slide my hand down his chest, past his naval and grab his hard cock. Without breaking the kiss, I start to stroke him.

He grabs one of my breasts, squeezing my nipple in his between his thumb and index finger, causing me to moan in pain and in pleasure. He kisses me harder, his tongue invading my mouth fully, allowing me to taste all of him. Without warning, he breaks the kiss, spins me around, slamming my back to his chest once again. His hand dives in my pussy, spreading my lips apart as he rubs my clit over and over again.

"Christian," I moan.

"Say it again. Say my name again," he says.

"Christian."

"That's right. My name is the only name that you will ever utter when you're like this," he says right before he sticks two fingers in me. "This is mine."

"Say my name," he commands but all I can do is moan.

He pulls out his fingers and slaps me hard on the pussy.

"Fuck," I say at the sensation.

"And fuck you, I will, but I told you to say my fucking name," he says as slaps my pussy again, followed by rubbing my clit. He does this over and over again, until I'm on the brink.

"Christian. Christian. Christian," I whisper.

He turns me to face him, and I jump up and wrap my legs around him. I kiss him hungrily, deeply as he walks me to the shower wall. Once he's pinned me between his body and the wall, he puts me back on my feet, lifts one leg and enters in one deep stroke.

"Close your eyes and just feel me, baby. Feel what you do to me. Feel my love," he says against my neck as he fucks me against the shower wall.

"More," I say to him, and he fucks me harder, deeper. He fucks me so hard and deep against the wall that I know I will have bruises in the morning. He kisses, bites and sucks the side of my neck, and I know I will have marks there too. He's marking me, showing me that I belong to him

"Mine," he says against my throat. "Always."

"Yes," is all I can manage to say as he continues to fuck me.

I grab onto his shoulders and upper back and hold on. I run my hands lovingly over him, relishing being able to touch him there.

He takes one of my hands and lays it on his chest, right at his heart.

"Yours," he says while his gaze is locked with mine.

"Mine," I say. Once that word is out of my mouth, he fucks me so hard. He presses me against the wall, his gazed fixed on me as the six shower heads continue to pour down hot water on us. He fucks with abandon. He fucks me with everything in him. He fucks me deeply and completely, filling all of me, leaving no doubt in my mind that he is mine, and I am his.

"Christian," I say as I fall over the cliff, my body spasming violently as the orgasm takes over my body. He follows right behind me with one last thrust, followed by a grunt. I watch the ecstasy on his face as he empties inside of me.

We stand there for an eternity. Him holding me against the wall as we both pant like we've just run a marathon.

My legs feel like rubber once he finally lets me go. He catches me right before I fall to my knees, and walks me to the bench in the shower, where he places me on his lap. He starts to rub my back as the water continues to pour on us.

"I love you, baby. I'm not ashamed of anything I did to get you, including getting Gail and Taylor's help. And they love you, too. That's not fake. I just needed some help to get you here, okay?" He asks before kissing me so tenderly and lovingly. "You're my world."

"And you're mine. I love you just as much."

* * *

"Well, look who showed up to work today," Jose says as I walk to the café, holding Christian's hand as Jason walks with us. "And look at that tan. I guess that's what happens when you go to Miami and leave your BFF in rainy Seattle. It's a wonder I haven't drowned with all the rain we got last week." I just laugh at him. I know for a fact it only rained one day while we were gone.

"If that's how you feel, I won't give you the present I got you," I tell him. "And I'm remember I'm leaving at one thirty today."

"Just give me my present already," he says, clapping both hands. "I hope it's something expensive since you can afford everything now. I swear, G-Money, you're the best thing to ever happen to me and Ana."

Christian ignores Jose as he leans in and gives me a kiss that is too inappropriate for the café.

Jose lets out a loud whistle, and Taylor stands the unphased, but I think I see a slight smile on his face.

"Are you coming up to my office to change before we go?" He asks, and I nod.

"I'll bring you lunch?" I ask.

"Not today. I have a meeting off site, but I should be back by the time you want to leave. If not, Taylor will drive you and I'll meet you there. I love you," he says before he gives me another inappropriate kiss, complete with an ass squeeze.

"I love you more," I say against his lips.

"Yeah, I love you both too. Can I have my damn present now?"

"Bye, baby," Christian says as he leaves.

"Ana," Taylor says with a nod as he follows Christian out.

"Give it to me!" Jose practically screams.

I grab my bag and hand him a small package. I watch the disappointment on his face as he unwraps a tee shirt with the word Miami on it. He's even less interested in the mug that was wrapped in the tee shirt, but he thanks me and gives me an unenthusiastic hug.

"Thanks, girl. Let me tell you about me and Floyd. Well, remember how he stormed out of the house after my mother humiliated me at the housewarming? Don't even get me started on my mother. She had the nerve to call me and acted like nothing happened the next day. And listen to this-" I cut him off before he can continue.

"Oh, my god! I gave you the wrong present. This is yours," I say to him as I hand him a bigger package, complete with a bow on top.

He shuts up and snatches it out of my hand. Once he opens it, he yells so loud I think my eardrums burst.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Ana? No fucking way!" He says as he pulls out the sleek black camera. "This thing costs seven thousand dollars, Anastasia! Oh my god!" He comes over, grabs me and spins me around and around. "He let you get this for me?"

"It was his idea. Your dad went on and on about your love for photography, and how you're saving to go back to school and to buy a camera for your classes, and how proud he is of you. Christian wanted to do this for you."

"Gurl, I'm so glad you didn't ruin this for us with that Eli's fiasco. Oh my god! I'm making him my famous steak tacos for dinner this week. Tell him to pick a night! You can come too!"

* * *

CHRISTIAN

"Dude, mom has been blowing up my phone for the past five days," Elliot says to me the minute I answer his phone call.

"Elliot, don't you have anything better to do on a Monday morning than worry about your mommy issues," I ask as I turn type a response to an email.

"Our mommy issues, asshole. She hasn't called you?"

"She has, but I just hit ignore. I'm not ready to hear whatever she has to say yet."

"Well, prepare yourself because dad has called for reinforcements. He's desperate because the physician of the year award is next month."

"What reinforcements? Get to the point because I have shit to do," I snap at him.

"Our grandfather. He called me. He was subtle as a mac truck. He talked about grandma's precarious health. How she needs the entire family to lean on now. He asked if I would take him to get his tuxedo taken out and asked if I have a date for the award ceremony."

"And?" I ask, exasperated by this conversation.

"What do you mean and?"

"What the fuck did you tell him, Elliot?"

"I told him I'd get back to him?"

"You'd get back to him? Did your blue balls finally explode leaving you without a pair? Why the fuck didn't you tell him the truth about what's going on with his daughter?" What a fucking moron.

"Thanks for asking about the status of my balls. They're still blue, but I still have them. I think Friday night will be the night, C. Kate and I have plans. Jackson is spending the night with his grandparents, and EJ is spending the night with his favorite uncle. Don't forget. I need this man." I swear his attention span is worse than EJ's.

"Stay on track, asshole. Why didn't you say something?"

"I'm not going to upset a man in his seventies. And our grandmother just had a heart attack. And our sister won't talk to me." Pussy.

"Pussy," I cough. "I guess this means you're going?"

"I don't know." I already know what he's going to ask me next. "What are you going to do?" Just as I expected.

"Not a damn thing. I'm not going. And unlike you, I'll say that to anyone who asks. You have fun, though. I'll watch EJ for you that night too. Remember EJ? The one our mother keeps insulting?"

"You don't think I fucking know that? I didn't say I was going, but if I do, it won't be for our mother. It will be for the rest of the family."

"You mean so Mia and our grandparents won't be mad at you?"

"Fuck off, Christian. I just called to give you a heads up. You don't have to be a prick," he says right before he hangs up on me. I slam my phone down, I and let out a million expletives. After the amazing night I had last night, the last thing I need is more family drama. Not to mention, Andrea took a fucking sick day today, so I have no assistant.

For the next few hours, I lose myself in work, and two boring conference calls. I send an email to Andrea asking that she make arrangements for my trip to New York in two weeks, and I think of how happy Ana will be to go back to the east coast.

A few minutes after I send a text telling her about the trip, Ana walks into my office.

"You're the best sight I've seen since I left you this morning," I say as I make room for her on my lap. She puts her arms around me and kisses me softly on my lips and then my neck.

"Where's Andrea? She's usually there guarding your door with her life."

"She's sick today."

"Ohhh, you poor baby. I can come up here and assist you," she says batting her baby blues at me.

"If you were to do that, neither one of us would get any work done. I'd have you bent over my desk all damn day. And then I'd spank your little ass red for wearing this short little skirt," I say as I slide my hand up her thigh. I slide my hand underneath her panties, rub her clit with two fingers. I bring my fingers to my mouth and suck them clean.

She bites her lip and squeezes her thighs together.

"Stop that. I only came here to give you a kiss before the lunch rush, and to give you a present." I claim her mouth with mine again. I feel her little hands on my chest, and instead of pain or panic, I feel only peace and contentment at her touch. Our kiss isn't rushed. Instead it's sweet and gentle, with a promise of more.

We end the kiss, and I rest my forehead on hers.

"A present? For me?" I ask, surprised.

"Yes, for you. I know it's nothing compared to everything you've given me, but I want you to have this." She pulls out a small box out of her pocket and hands it to me. I quickly open it, curious as to what it might be.

"A key? Is this to your heart, baby?" I ask kissing her ear.

"You already have the key to my heart, but this is the key to my house. I want you to come and go as you please," she says shyly, avoiding eye contact with me.

"Baby, this is the best present I've ever gotten. Thank you," I say as I hold her face in both hands.

"Really?"

"Really. This means everything. I love it, and I love you." The beautiful smile she gives me almost makes my heart burst. She clears her throat before giving me a chaste kiss on the lips.

"You must be frazzled without your assistant," she says and I nod. She gets off my lap and goes to stand behind my chair. I feel her delicate hands start to massage my shoulders. I close my eyes and let her hands soothe away the tension from my body.

"That's nice, baby," I say as she continues the massage.

The door to my office opens a few minutes later, and I sigh in aggravation.

"Son," my dad says as he walks in with my grandfather, and a sheepish Elliot following behind them. They all stop short when they see Ana massaging my shoulders.

They stand there in stunned silence, looking at each other to confirm what they're witnessing. I take Ana's hands off my shoulders, lay them on my chest for several seconds, before placing them back on my shoulders, asking her to continue. Without saying a word, she continues to rub my shoulders.

Dad covers his mouth with his hands, and grandfather walks over, pulls Ana in his arms and hugs her to him. He pulls away, kisses both her cheeks, and both of her hands.

"I knew you were special the minute I laid eyes on you. I don't think you understand that magnitude of what you've done, sweetheart. You're an angel sent from heaven," he says before kissing her hands again.

Dad clears his throat, and when I look at him, he turns to face the other way. Before he managed to turn, I could have sworn I saw tears in his eyes. He quickly pulls himself together and turns to face me again.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, son. I'm so happy to see you, Ana," he says, as he walks over and kisses her cheek.

"This is a nice surprise," Ana says.

"Not that nice," I say, and she pinches me. "Thanks for letting me know you were on your way here, Elliot." He simply shrugs.

"Just thought I'd stop by. We were in the neighborhood."

"I'll let you guys talk. It's close to lunch time so I better get downstairs."

"Don't leave on our account, sweetheart. I want to specifically invite you to my daughter's award ceremony one month from today. I believe Mia is taking her grandmother dress shopping on Sunday while us men go fishing. You should join the ladies and do some shopping. Adelle has been talking about you nonstop," grand dad says. Elliot wasn't lying. Dad did call for reinforcements.

"Oh, Uh," Ana looks at me like a deer in the headlights.

I stand up and put my arm around her waist.

"We'll talk about it tonight, baby," I say so everyone can hear.

"It's a family event, and Ana is part of the family now," dad says. I quickly walk to the door, wrapping my arms around her waist. She rests both hands on my chest as I give her a not so chaste kiss. She blushes crimson before waving at everyone.

"Gentlemen," I say as I turn towards the three stunned faces in my office. I'd laugh if I wasn't so annoyed at them.

"We need to have a family meeting, but before we all get together as a family, I need to talk to my grandsons," my grandfather begins.

* * *

ANA

Unfortunately, Christian got delayed and could not come with me to the campus to buy my books. I'm a little disappointed, but I understand he's a busy man. Plus, he was ambushed by his family earlier today.

I'm sure they were there to convince him to make peace with his mother. I hope he listens. I wish he would take one of her damn calls and just listen to whatever she has to say.

After using his office shower, and changing into a high low maxi dress, and some strappy sandals, I apply some light makeup before going back into his office to grab my bag.

Christian surprised me with a brand new Apple computer last week, and a beautiful bag. I knew the bag had to be expensive, but it was Jose who, after he let out a loud shriek, told me it was a thirty thousand dollar Hermes bag. I looked it up on line, and he was right. I was speechless for a full hour after learning that tidbit.

I grab the bag and intend to go to Jason's office, but the office door opens and his mother walks in just as I throw the Hermes bag over my shoulder. She's surprised to see me, but I don't shrink away from her stare.

"Dr. Treveleyan," I say.

"Anastasia. Is my son around?" She asks. Do you see him here, bitch, I think to myself, but I don't say that.

"No. He's in a meeting. It was nice to see you," I lie as I start to walk towards the door.

"Wait!" I stop and turn to face her. She looks at me from head to toe as she walks closer to me.

"You look lovely, dear," she says. "I love your purse."

"Thank you. It was a gift from your son."

"I figured as much. I think we got off on the wrong foot the last time we saw each other. I didn't mean any offense."

"You accused me of being a whore. Of being with your son for money. I wasn't supposed to be offended?" I ask. She takes a step back. I guess she wasn't expecting me to say that.

"Sweetie, you have a thirty thousand dollar Hermes bag slung over your shoulder. Don't tell me you're not in it for the gifts, but I don't want to argue. I need your help."

"Oh?"

"My son won't talk to me. Neither one of them will. I love my boys, Ana, and I miss them," she says.

"I'm not sure how I can help with that, Dr. Treveleyan."

"If you can convince Christian to talk to me, I know Elliot will follow suit. You both can come to dinner tonight. I'll apologize for what I said to you the last time. If you were to forgive me, Christian would come around." The fucking nerve of this woman.

"Why would he listen to me? According to you, this is just for show. You think we only have an arrangement."

"Well, maybe you're different. Or maybe he's staying with you to prove a point. I don't know. His reputation took a hit, so maybe he's with you to restore it. If he shows the world he's a guy with a regular girlfriend, the world will forget what he likes to do. He showers you with gifts. You hold hands and kiss for the camera. You guys mutually benefit each other. I get it. I only hope you understand it for what it is too?"

I make a mental note to slap myself. For a second, I actually thought she was sincere, but she still thinks our relationship is fake. Not only that, she wants to use me. Which makes no damn sense.

"I don't think so. If you think our relationship is phony, why on earth do you think he would care about what I think? You don't make sense."

"I have money, too, if that's what you're after." I take a step back almost like she's slapped me. "Now that you've had a taste of the good life, I'm sure you want to hold on to it."

"You're a piece of work, Dr. Trevelyan. Believe it or not, I'm not with your son for money or what he can do for me. He came after me. He pursued me. I want nothing from him other than his time and his love. That's all I need. I'm sorry I don't come from your social circle, but not everyone who's from a lower middle class family is a gold digging social climbing whore. Maybe you should use some of your money to buy some class because you're lacking," I say to her. "Do you know your son at all?"

"Do _you_ know my son is the better question. It's all out there for the world to see. You've heard and seen it, so don't be surprised when he moves on to the next thing."

"The next thing? Your son loves me, Dr. Treveleyan."

She scoffs at me.

"Oh, please. You're a means to an end."

"Really? And you know this how? You've spent no time with us. You dismissed me as soon as you met me, but I'm supposed to believe you know how he feels about me. Save your breath. I believe the man who not only tells me how he feels, but shows me every single day," I say to her.

"Don't act so offended. This wouldn't be the first time you've seized an opportunity," she says to me.

"What the hell are you talking about, lady? And I use the turn lady loosely?"

"I've researched you. I found an uncle of yours who was more than eager to talk. He took my first offer, but I guess you're a better negotiator. You're living in your dead mother's house, right? The same mother you had cut out of your life, but as soon as she died, you grabbed on to the house with both hands. He said you changed the locks and he couldn't even go in there to get some of his belongings. He says you won't talk to him either since he has nothing to offer you."

"Incredible, Dr. Treveleyan. I hope that private eye you hired was worth whatever you spent. I bet you don't know why I cut my mother out of my life. In fact, I know you don't because my dear uncle doesn't even know. You want to know? She told me she regretted ever giving birth to me. That was after years and years of neglect, but I bet dear uncle Simon left that part out. And I did change the locks, but it's after he went in the house and stole all of the appliance and my mother's jewelry. And as for not speaking to him? Before the funeral, the last time I saw him was when I was five years old. Was it up to the five year old to keep in contact with the adult? And if I had an arrangement with your son, I wouldn't be working at the damn coffee shop. Look, I don't give a shit what you think about me, but I love your son, and I had hoped we could be friends, but I guess that's not a reality. You're a judgmental and cruel person. You withhold your love the minute your son does something you don't like, and you have the nerve to stand here and use my mother's death as a weapon. With the state of your family, you'd think you would understand the concept of complicated family relations. I wonder how someone like you can raise someone as wonderful as Christian. I'll say this for the last time. I'm with your son because I love him. The end. And if you ever use my mother's death as a weapon against me again, you'll regret it," I say as I walk past her and heads towards the door.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope to update the next chapter soon. Until Laters.**


	19. Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

ALL CREDIT TO ELJ

CHRISTIAN

I walk out of the boardroom, with Ros on my heels, thankful that this acquisition should be complete by the end of the year. The next few meetings only involve the lawyers.

"Why the fuck do I have to go to West Virginia, Christian? It would make more sense for me to go to New York, so I can stop in and see my dad," she says about the next deal we're working on.

"Forget it. West Virginia is all yours, Rosalyn," I say, knowing that she hates when I call her Rosalyn. "Ana's coming with me, and she's never been to New York."

My last meeting in New York ends on Thursday. I'll send the plane back for Ana and she can join me in New York after her last class on Thursday. She doesn't have any Friday classes, which will give us the entire weekend. I anticipate showing her all the sites, including Times Square, Central Park, and even a trip to the botanical gardens. On Saturday, I plan to take her to a fancy dinner and surprise with tickets to see Hamilton.

I smile at the thought of taking her to her first Broadway show. The first of many.

"You cheapskate," Ros says as we start walking towards the door of the boardroom. I check my watch and contemplate meeting Ana at the campus bookstore, but she's probably almost done by now. She'll definitely be done by the time I get there. I was irritated at having to delay this meeting because my father, brother and grandfather decided to show up.

Unlike Elliot, who has no balls, I let our grandfather know exactly what his daughter has been up to, the things she said to me, Ana, Elliot and about EJ. Even though he expressed disappointment in my mother, he still wants us to work out our differences.

"Excuse me," I say to Ros.

"You're a cheapskate. Taking your girlfriend with you on business trips because you're too cheap to take her on vacation on your own dime."

"It's my company, so it's always my dime, Rosalyn. Go away," I say as I walk away from her. I pull out my cell phone to call Taylor when I notice I have two missed calls from Ana and a text from Jason.

Taylor – **Issue with Mrs. Grey. She had a run in with Ana in your office. We're outside.**

I let out a soft expletive as walk out of the conference room. I eye Sawyer waiting for me. A few businessmen approach me to shake hands and talk, but I rudely walk away from them. I nod at Sawyer and he follows me outside. Ros also walks with me, but I ignore her in my haste to get outside.

Whatever the fuck happened with my mother could not have been good if Ana is outside waiting for me instead of on campus. I immediately regret ignoring all of her calls if my ignoring her caused Ana any pain.

I burst through the doors, and the minute I do, Ana opens her car door and runs into my arms. I hold her close, but I can feel her rapid heartbeat. I pull back and look into her face noting her some sadness in her eyes.

"I take back what I said earlier, Grey," I hear Ros say next to me. "No way you're a cheapskate with Ana walking around with that Hermes bag. Throw it my way when you're done with it, Ana," Ros says walking away from us.

I ignore her and lead Ana into Taylor's car.

"What is it, baby? What happened?"

"Your mother happened, Christian. And why is everyone always talking about this purse?" She asks as she puts it away from her. She crosses her arms and looks out the window.

"Will you tell me what the fuck happened? You're obviously fucking pissed, and I know my Grace is behind it. What the fuck did she do this time?" I look at both Ana and Taylor, who both remain silent. "One of you better start talking, or so help me God," I threaten.

"Let's get in the car first, boss," Taylor says as he holds the door open. I follow behind Ana and Taylor closes the door. He talks to Sawyer for a minute before getting in the driver's seat.

"What happened, baby?" I ask again, calmer this time.

"After work, I went into your office, so I could shower and change like we talked about. I was just about to walk out to go meet Jason to go to the book store when your mother walked in. She was looking for you and when I told her you weren't there, she asked me for my help." I listen as Ana tells me a story about my mother, _my mother_ , offering her a bribe to help her get back in my good graces. But that's not the worst part. That's actually the least offensive part of the story. She then tells the woman I love that she's with me for money. Does she leave it at that? No! She had a background check done on her. She goes further by calling her an opportunist and using her mother's death to get ahead.

I sit there stunned into silence as Taylor weaves through the Seattle traffic.

"Taylor, tell me you did not just sit at the monitors and listen to my mother insult Ana," I say. To anyone else, I appear calm, but Jason knows better. He looks at me briefly through the mirror.

"I let Ana have some privacy while she was in your office. I wasn't looking at the monitors then, but I saw the footage after, boss. Barney probably already emailed it to you."

I grab my briefcase and quickly pull out my iPad. Within seconds, I'm looking at the monster that my mother has become. I don't recognize this vile person from the loving mother who raised us. I'm not sure if I feel more anger or hurt over the things that she's said to Ana, but I do know that we've reached a point of no return in our relationship.

I turn to look at Ana, who has an expression on her face I can't read. She looks neither sad or upset by the episode. Instead, she looks stoic, resigned even.

"You okay, baby?" I say grabbing her hand in mine.

"I'm fine," she sighs. "Given how our first meeting went, I shouldn't be surprised by what happened. Until today, I believed her issues weren't about me, but now I'm not so sure. She looked into my life. Found my uncle and used information against me, Christian. Why? What was she hoping to find?" Her voice is flat and void of any emotion. I put her hand to my mouth and kiss her knuckles.

"She's obviously lost her damn mind, Ana. I promise you that you will never have to deal with Grace Grey again. I'm sorry, baby," I say to her.

"It's not your fault. She made me out to be a social climbing whore but using my mother's death like that is a new low. That one hurts." I reach over, unbuckle her seatbelt and place her on my lap. She lays her head on my chest and I kiss the top of her head.

"I know, baby," I say to her. "No one believes those things. I don't even think she does. She wants to hurt me for embarrassing her, but she's gone too far this time."

Ana raises her head and looks out the window of the car.

"Jason, can you take me home?" She asks. Taylor looks at me through the mirror and I shake my head at him.

"You're coming home with me, Ana. I'm not leaving you alone today."

"I'm fine, Christian. There are just some things I need to do at home," she says with her head still on my chest. I feel my chest constrict at those words. I don't like them.

"Think about what, Ana? You think I'm going to allow my mother or anyone else to get in your head? To come between us? It's not going to happen. I'm going to deal with her once and for all. In the meantime, you're not going anywhere. Do you hear me?" I prove my point, I tighten my hold around her waist.

She looks up at me surprised.

"It's nothing like that. I was going to surprise you by making you dinner. I wanted us to eat by the roses, and now it's ruined." I hear her sniffle and see her wipe away a stray tear. "She ruined it," she says about Grace.

"Look at me," I say as I lock eyes with her. "I love you. I fucking love you. No one can ruin anything unless we let them. End of story." She kisses me softly on the lips before she wraps her arms around me. I hold her tight until we get home. We walk pass Gail and head straight upstairs into the bedroom where she sits on the bed looking defeated. She takes off her shoes before she gets up and steps out onto the deck.

I follow her. She's standing against the railing looking out onto the sound. She's beautiful in her long dress. Her long hair is blowing in the wind, and though I know she feels defeated, she's standing there like a warrior.

"Baby," I say as I put my hands on her shoulders. As angry as I am. As much as I want to march into my parent's house and have it out with my mother again. As much as I want to get in her face and warn her to stay away, I need to be here more. I need to let this woman know how much I love and need her. She needs to know that there is no life without her anymore. That we are one now.

She turns to me and smiles sadly.

"I'm sorry," is all I can manage to say.

"You don't have anything to apologize for, Christian," she says.

"I'm sorry my mother upset you."

"I promised myself that I would never let her get to me. I told myself that this was never about me but talking to my uncle and bringing my mother into it is just too much. She got to me, and I hate that," she says sadly. "Everyday, I ask myself what I could have done differently, and if I did those things, would Carla still be here. I live with that every moment of everyday. She doesn't get to come and accuse me of profiting from my mother's death. And she doesn't get to accuse me of using you either. That's not who I am."

"I know exactly who you are, Ana. You don't need to convince me or anyone else," I say as I stroke her hair.

"I adore you, Christian. I love the man you are. I love so many things about you. I love your crazy hair, especially first thing in the morning. I love your quirky sense of humor. I love the relationship you have with your siblings, especially your brother. I love how much you love your nephew. I love the man who threw his housekeeper and security guard the most lavish wedding and bridal shower. I love the man who has embraced my totally inappropriate best friend. I can go on for days, but your money or what you can do for me never came to mind. I'm not that girl. If we woke up tomorrow, and you lost all of this," she says waving around the property, "it wouldn't phase me for a second because I would still have this." She gently places both hands on my heart. "That's all I care about. As long as I have this, I have everything."

"You'll have this until it beats for the last time, and I take my last breath. You'll have it even beyond that. This," I say as I press her hands against my chest, "was made for you. It beat for the first time at approximately 7 am on March 31st. And I promise you that Grace will never get the chance to hurt you again."

For the first time since she told me what happened, she smiled a genuine smile. I pull her into my arms and hold her against me.

"I know you'll protect me. I'm surprised you're here and not where ever she is raising hell."

"And I'm going to raise all kinds of hell, baby, but I you're my main concern. I need to make sure you're okay before anything else. I need to make sure we're okay," I say against her ear.

"No one has the power to come between us. I'm not going anywhere unless you want me to go."

"That's good because I never want you to go. I don't think forever with you will be enough. Let me show you how much I love you," I whisper in her ear. Before she can give me any kind of response, I scoop her up in my arms and carry her into the bedroom where I lay her on the bed.

Her hair lays wildly across the bed. Her maxi dress is bunched up around her waist, and I make quick work of removing it completely from her body. Her thong and bra go next, leaving her a beautiful, naked sight. A sight only I will ever get to see.

She sits up on her knees and crawls across the bed to where I am. She takes off my jacket and tosses it across the room before she starts to unbutton my shirt. She losses her patience and pulls the shirt, causing all the buttons to fly across the room. I remove the rest of my clothes as quickly as possible and join her on the bed, pressing my naked body on top of hers.

"I want to try something," I say to her. "I want to blindfold you."

"Yes," she says quickly as she kisses my neck. I almost lose it when I feel her hands on my upper back, slowly touching those muscles. How have I lived without Ana's touch for almost three decades?

I give her a deep kiss before getting up from the bed and running into the closet. I grab the blindfold after looking through all the things I've recently gotten for us to try.

When I return to the room, she's laying on her side watching me.

"Lay on your back," I say to her, and she quickly obeys. "Close your eyes." Once the blindfold is on, I sit back and look at her as she's sprawled naked on my bed blindfolded, putting her trust in me. It's a humbling moment. This woman who's been hurt by the person she should have relied on the most, but she's strong enough to trust again. She's given that trust to me. She trusts me to love her, to protect her, and I will.

I lay my body on top of hers and slam my mouth on hers, eagerly tasting her. I drink her in. I devour her mouth.

"Just feel," I say against her lips when I feel her hands on my back. She pulls her hands away. "I want to feast on you."

I kiss the side of her neck, biting and sucking along the way, marking her as mine. I hear her soft moan when I cup one of her breasts, tweaking her nipple. Her body is taken over by goosebumps as she arches her back. I pull both nipples with my hands before taking one into my mouth. It's a hard pebble in my mouth. I'm not gentle with it. I suck, and I bite it before giving my attention to the other breast.

She's writhing and calling my name. I know what she wants, but I'm not ready to give it to her yet.

I leave her breasts, and I trail wet, hungry kisses down her body, stopping at her naval. I lay my head on her stomach, kissing her softly and enjoying the softness of her skin. She puts her hands in my hair, gently stroking my messy locks.

"I love you, Christian," she whispers. I plant a kiss under her belly button before I lift and bend her knees. I spread them apart and stick my head between her thighs.

"Aaaah," I hear her sigh. "Please." I rest my head at her pussy, inhaling her scent. I kiss her perfect cunt before slowly liking her clit.

She arches her back, causing my head to bounce away from my prize. I pin her hips down with my hands.

"You smell and taste like heaven, baby," I say before I start to lick and suck her pussy. I stick two fingers inside her wet slit as I attack her clit, which is now a hard little nub in my mouth. I can tell she's getting close to orgasm, but I want her cum on my dick today.

I pull away from her. Before she can react, I'm laying on top of her and sliding into her moist cunt, giving her all of me.

* * *

After viewing the video again for about have a dozen times, I take my iPad and throw it against the wall in my home office, shattering it. The anger that I held at bay for Ana is back on the surface.

Destroying the iPad isn't enough. I grab the mug of coffee I had Gail make and throw that against the wall as well.

As expected, Taylor comes rushing into my office. Once he sees the damage I've done, he simply nods his head.

"Where is she?" I ask him.

"Mrs. Grey is at home, boss. Your father is on his way home from the office. He should be home very soon," he says. My entire family has tracking devices on their vehicles for security purposes, so it was easy for Taylor to track my mother.

"And my grandparents?"

"They're not there. Shana's visiting your grandparents, so they are at home," Taylor says.

Good, because I don't want them there when I confront her.

"What the hell was that noise?" Gail says as she walks into my office.

I don't answer her. I'm sure she can put it all together.

"Gail, Ana's upstairs sleeping. If she comes down before I get back, let her know I'll be right back."

"Of course," is all she says.

"Going forward, my mother is not welcome here. Taylor will let the rest of the staff know. If for some reason she makes her way into this house, call the police and have her removed." I'm not worried about it making the news. Taylor is friends with the chief of police, and if they want my generous donation each year, they will know to keep anything that goes on here quiet.

Gail simply nods, but I can see how angry she is. She's protective of Ana too.

I get up from my desk and start walking towards my office door. Taylor follows me.

"I'll handle it from here on out, Taylor," I say, but he ignores me and follows me out the door.

"Not happening, boss. I'm your protection. I have to protect you even from yourself." I walk through the house and into one of the many Audi's in the garage. Taylor gets in the driver's seat and we make the short drive to my parent's house.

I don't bother knocking. I announce myself only when I slam the front door. I can feel the house shake from the force of the slam.

I hear footsteps and Gretchen steps from around the corner. She exhales in relief when she sees it's me.

Grace is right behind her. Our eyes lock, and I know the instant she realizes why I'm there.

"Mother," is all I say to her.

For a split second, I think I saw a bit of fear in her eyes, but it's gone before I can confirm it. Instead, she looks resigned and ready to hear whatever I've got to say.

"I heard you ran into Ana earlier today in my office?"

"I was in your office looking for you. I tried to apologize," she begins. She stops talking, clears her throat and begins talking again.

"I tried to apologize, but Ana didn't want to hear what I had to say," mother quickly explains.

"That's not what I heard, and it's definitely not what I saw." I turn my gaze towards my mother.

"I don't know if you're aware, mother, but my office is wired for video and audio. Everything that goes on in there is recorded. Nothing goes on in there that I don't know about," I tell her.

Her face reveals nothing. She has no reaction to my declaration.

"What do you think you saw, Christian? She wouldn't listen to a word I had to say. I went there to make things right with you, but you weren't there. She was. I didn't seek her out, if that's what you're thinking."

"She wouldn't listen to you? Are you hearing yourself mother?" I say to her. She turns her back to me, but I spin her around so she can face me. "She was supposed to let you use her. You wanted her to help you by agreeing to accept a fake apology. How delusional are you? You think Ana is the reason our relationship is the way it is? Look in the damn mirror if you want to see the reason why I want nothing to do with you."

I see thunder clouds in mother's eyes as she fixes her angry gaze on me.

"You think _I'm_ the reason? Where is _your_ mirror, Christian? Am I the one who hired sex slaves? Am I the one who had them write a damn book for the entire world to see what kind of a man you are?"

"This again? We've been over this! I'm sorry, mother. I'm sorry I shamed you in front of your high society friends, even though no one but you gives a shit about that anymore. It's old fucking news, but you refuse to move on. You want to punish me? Go ahead, but you deal with me. _Me!_ Leave Ana out of it because she's done nothing," I say to her.

"You're angry because I did a background check on her? I was helping you. Maybe if you had done your due diligence on those other vipers, the entire world wouldn't know-"

I cut her off.

"Wouldn't know what? What kind of a monster you raised?"

"I didn't say that!" She yells in frustration. She runs a hand through her hair and turns looks towards the front door. I know she's hoping for Carrick to walk in so he can intervene on her behalf and defend her. Instead, it's Taylor who now walked into the kitchen. "I just wanted to make sure she was who she said she was."

"Because I'm such a fool? Because I've made such poor choices?"

"Well, you have! You have!"

"I understand a background check, mother, but you went beyond that. You talked to her uncle. You used a painful part of her past against her. Her mother's death of all things. Do you know that before I came along she was practically all alone? She has her stepfather, and her best friend. That's it. She was simply trying to do her best to survive in this world. She hasn't done anything to hurt anyone, which is more than I can say for you. Who the hell are you, mother? The mother I grew up with wouldn't bully a young girl. A young girl that I love. What do you do with the knowledge that I love somebody? You try to bribe her. Instead of being happy for me, you go out of your way to prove that what we have is some arrangement. I know that's why you got a background check. It had nothing to do with protecting me. What did you call her? A means to an end. She's not that, mother. She's everything. She's going to be the mother of your grandchildren one day, and you'll have no part of that. None!" She recoils as if I've slapped her. Tears fill her eyes, and she quickly brushes them aside.

"I guess you're going to follow your brother's footsteps and keep my grandchildren away from me too," she says. I scoff at her.

"Leave Elliot out of this. I'm the one who's here right now. Before today, I just wanted a break from you. If you wanted to genuinely apologize, I was going to hear you out. And because you're my mother and because I love you, I was going to let everything go so we could be a family again, but not after this. What you did was unforgivable. Why? I know you're angry at me, but to try and ruin what I have with Ana? What kind of a mother does that?"

"I didn't try to ruin anything. I wanted to make sure you didn't bring more shame and humiliation to this family. I didn't say anything that was untrue. She did cut her mother out of her life and moved into the house as soon as the poor woman was in the ground."

"For your information, she didn't move into that house until a year later. She slept on a broken down couch for a year at friend's one bedroom apartment because she couldn't bring herself to move into the house where her mother lived. She lives with guilt every fucking day of her life, but you don't see any of that. Her uncle is a piece of shit who stole from her, and her mother was neglectful and hurtful. She cut her mother out to save herself from more pain. Just like I'm going to do with you. From this day on, we're no longer family. I'm through with you. When I needed you the most, at the lowest point in my life, you abandoned me. When I dig my way out of it, instead of leaving it in the past, you remind me of how embarrassed you are of me every single day. You will stay away from me and from Ana. If you so much as step foot on any of my properties, I will have you removed. Hell, I'll have you arrested for trespassing. I'll get a god damn restraining order, mother, and I don't give a fuck who knows it. It's funny that you've been embarrassed by me for all these months, but looking at you now, I'm the one who's ashamed of you. Stay the fuck away from me." I turn away from her and start to walk towards the door.

"What the hell is going on here?" I hear my father say as he walks into the kitchen. "The damn neighbors can probably hear all this yelling. I'm surprised to see you considering out talk earlier today didn't go so well. I hope you're here because you changed your mind." He doesn't wait for me to respond as he heads to the fridge and pulls out a beer.

He's irritated with me because I didn't cave like Elliot. I told our grandfather exactly what his daughter has been up to and told everyone at the table I would not be attending her little event.

"I've changed my mind about some things, actually. I came by because mother here stopped by the office and talked to Ana earlier today," I say to him. He hands me a beer, but I refuse.

"Well thank fuck for that. I knew you'd see reason eventually. No need to yell, though," he said as he sips his beer.

"Did you two talk, Grace? I hope you apologized like we talked about. Let's put all of this unpleasantness behind us," Carrick says. My dad, always the optimist. Always blind.

"Tell me, dad, did all of this start with Ana? You act as if all she did was insult the woman I love. A genuine apology would have worked if that was her only transgression."

Carrick stops the beer bottle midway to his mouth. I think the penny has dropped that this isn't a social call.

"God dammit, what now?" He asks.

"For your viewing pleasure, dad," I say as I toss him the USB drive. "Let's go, Taylor."

Without another word, I walk out of my parents' house and as far away from my mother as possible.

"You okay, boss? That was pretty ugly," Taylor says.

"I'll be fine. It's been a long time coming." He opens the car door for me and I slide in.

My phone starts to vibrate. It's Ana.

"Taylor, hold on. I need to run back in the house to get something. Let me take Ana's call first," I say as I hold up my phone to him. He gives me a curt nod.

"Hey, baby," I say.

"Hey, yourself. I woke up and you weren't here."

"I know. I'm on my way back now. I'll be home in about ten minutes." She's silent for several seconds.

"Did you go see your mother?"

"I did."

"Are you ok, Christian?" I can picture her on the other end biting her lip, her eyes filled with worry.

"I'm fine. I'll tell you about it when I get home. You okay?"

"I would be better if you were here. I miss you."

"Miss you, too."

"I love you. Hurry home."

"I love you too, baby. I'm already in the car. See you soon." I end the call and run out of the car to go back in the house. There's a picture of me, dad and Elliot that we took at our last fishing trip that I want.

I open the door as quietly as possible. I make my way into the family room to get the photo. I stop to listen when I hear my mother talking to Carrick.

"Carrick, did you hear how he talked to me? I did not raise him to be so disrespectful to me! He thinks he can just rip this family apart and walk away into the sunset with Ana. The nerve of that boy. I went there with good intentions, Cary!"

"Grace," I hear my father say, "That's enough. Enough, Grace. For months now I've been trying to mend this broken family. I've done everything. I've talked to my sons. I've talked to my wife. I've talked to my daughter. Hell, Grace, I even went so far as to involve your father. We talked to the boys today. I convinced Elliot to come to your award ceremony and to let you see EJ again. I've been trying to convince the boys to talk to their mother, but I see I was trying to convince the wrong people. Did you see the video I just saw, Grace? Why? Why would you do this? The person I saw on that video is not the woman I married. You were condescending and dismissive. You offered her money so she can help you fool our son. You mocked their relationship. Your scoffed when she told you she loves our son. The very same son that we worried about for years. We wondered how he would ever have a relationship because of his touch issues. Remember that? He finds someone he's crazy about and you try to shit all over it. And for what? We raised three amazing children, Grace. Our sons are successful businessmen. They're not perfect. So what? Are you? From this video, you're far from perfect, sweetheart, but at least our sons get up everyday and fight and try to be good people. Elliot is an amazing father, but you don't see that. All you see is how EJ came into the world. Christian has always had a heart of gold and has always been so giving. We knew he had issues before we adopted him, and he's done his best. I don't care if he found an unconventional way to deal with his touch issues. I'm proud of my son. I'm proud of the man he is. I'm proud of how he handled everything that's been thrown at him. He didn't run and hide. He showed courage and fought for his company. He fought for this family. As a father, I couldn't be prouder. And he's found the sweetest woman. Ana is an amazing person, Grace. If you would get your head out of your ass for one second, you would be able to see what I see. She loves him. It's obvious to everyone but you. I see it. Elliot and Mia see it. Your damn parents see it, but you just refuse. You're intent on punishing our sons for embarrassing you. I didn't realize I married such a narcissist."

"Cary," Grace says in disbelief, tears streaming down her face. She doesn't even bother trying to wipe them this time. "I've only ever wanted-"

"A perfect little family," dad finishes. "No such thing, Grace. Our family was fine the way it was. It wasn't Christian or Elliot who destroyed our family. It was you, sweetheart. You did by making everything about you."

"It wasn't like that, Cary. I went there to see my son. She was there, I asked for help and she wouldn't even listen to me."

"She wouldn't listen to you? That's not what I saw! Don't stand there and lie to me when I have the proof of your actions right here! What would you have done if you had succeeded? If your insults got to her and she walked away from Christian? Would that have made you happy? Would it make you happy to see our son heartbroken? Is that what you want? You're so angry at him for ruining the image of your perfect little family that you would be happy to see him suffer? To see him broken?"

I can't see her, but I hear her start to sob.

"No, of course I wouldn't want that."

"Then what the hell do you want? Do you know that she can touch him, Grace?"

"What? That's not possible," she sobs.

"It fucking is possible. Theo, Elliot and I walked into his office today to find her massaging his shoulders. He took her hands and placed them on his chest. She got through to our son, Grace. She came in and was able to give him what we've always wanted for him. That's the type of woman our son found. The one whose judgment you question. He was able to find a woman who broke through his barriers and you couldn't even see it. It's your judgement that's in question, not Christian's. Thank goodness she loves him enough not to believe your bullshit," dad says. I hear footsteps. I think he's making his way towards the stairs.

"Wait! Are you sure, Cary?" The footsteps stop

"Yes, I'm sure. I know what the fuck I saw. I've been going to the boys to fix things when they've done nothing wrong. Christian didn't cause those money hungry women to humiliate him. He's not responsible for their actions. He did everything he could to fix it. He's done enough. Leave him alone, Grace. Elliot has turned his entire world around to be the best parent he can be to EJ. And all you've managed to do is push away our children. Congratulations to you. I'm done trying to fix things for you. If you want to mend this family, you're going to have to do it on your own. I'm done doing your dirty work."

I hear Grace run after him after he starts stomping up the stairs.

"Where are you going, Cary? We need to talk." I peak around the corner to see her grab his sleeve. He yanks it away from her grasp but stops to face her.

"I'm getting out of here, Grace. I can't stand to be under the same roof as you."

"You're leaving me?" She asks in disbelief.

"Leaving you? No. Crazy as it seems, I still love you. The woman I've been with for over three decades is hopefully still in there somewhere, but I can't be around you right now. I need some time," he says in defeat.

"How much time?"

"As much time as it takes."

I hear several more footsteps but no more words. I grab the picture I was looking for and walk out the front door, away from Grace Grey.

 **A/N: Thank you for reading and reviewing. I hope Grace has reached rock bottom, but you never know. :) Chapter 20 coming to you soon.**


	20. Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

ALL CREDIT TO ELJ

ANA

As soon as the door off the garage opens, I put down my glass and run right into his arms. I wrap my arms around him, jump up and wrap my legs around him too. I stick my head in the crook of his neck and just inhale him. After taking several deep breaths of his scent, I pepper the side of his neck with kisses.

"I'm so glad you're back," I whisper to him.

"I'll have to leave more often if I can come back to this," he says as he continues to hold me as if I weigh nothing.

"I love you," I whisper.

"I love you too, baby," he says back.

"Dinner's almost ready, boss," Gail says from the other side of the kitchen.

"Thanks, Gail. You can go home once it's done. We'll serve ourselves tonight," Christian says as he carries me out of the kitchen and outside where we sit by the pool.

He puts my legs across his lap and rests his arms on my legs. He looks tired and drained as I reach over and run a hand through his hair. He leans into my touch and closes his eyes as I continue to stroke his hair.

He looks back towards the kitchen where Gail is putting the finishing touches on dinner.

"Are you and Gail okay?" For a minute I didn't get his meaning, but then I remembered our conversation about Jason and Gail reporting back to Christian about my life.

"Oh, yeah. We're fine. I didn't bring it up. What was I going to say? 'Gee, Gail, I'm mad that you and Taylor worked so hard to get me to fall for your boss, who I love more than anything?' It's not their fault their boss is so lame he had to get help to get me," I tease. He smiles back and kisses my hand in relieve

"Are _you_ okay?" I ask.

"I have you. I'll always be okay as long as I have you."

"What happened?" I ask softly. He takes a deep breath, takes one of my hands, kisses my palm before he starts talking.

I sit in complete silence as he tells me everything that was said between him and his mother. I do my best to hide my anger at the fact that she tried to defend her nasty words by saying she didn't say anything that wasn't true.

After he finishes talking, I throw myself back in his arms and hold him to me.

"I hate that it's come to that, Christian. I hate that for you. I'd give anything to change it." I stick my head in the crook of his neck and kiss his neck. I stick both hands in his hair as I continue to bite and nip at him.

"I know you would, baby. I'll be okay." He pulls me and sits me firmly on his lap. "And, Ana, when you're sitting on my lap right above my dick," I straddle him while he continues to talk, "in these little shorts, the last thing I want to do is talk about my mother."

"Yeah? What do you want to talk about then?" I ask coyly as I slowly grind on him. He groans before he roughly pulls me away from his neck by my hair. I look at him briefly before he slams his mouth on mine. We kiss passionately, tasting each other and pouring all of our frustrations into the kiss.

"I want to talk about how fucking beautiful and sexy you are. How I want you so damn much," he says against my mouth.

"I'm not those things," I say against his soft lips.

"You're all those things and more. You're beautiful on the inside too, and I'm so lucky to have you. To have you love me."

"Nothing lucky about it. Fate, remember? I think I loved you from the first. I was just too stupid to know it. And you want to talk about sexy? Christian Grey, you wrote the book on sexy." I continue to nibble on his chin as I unbutton his shirt and slide my hand over his massive chest. "This body is perfect, and it's mine," I say possessively, kissing him deeply.

Without bothering to unbutton his pants, I stick my hand in his boxers, grabbing his hard dick.

"And this. I just want to take your pants off and slip it in. I want to ride you right here on this chaise." To prove my point, I grind on him, feeling his hard cock against my pussy. He groans into my mouth and I revel at how much this powerful man wants me.

"How hungry are you, baby?"

"I'm starving. I want to take you all the way to the back of my throat," I say, grinding against his erection, my voice hoarse to my own ears.

"Me too. I'm ready to fuck you right here after I eat your pussy, but I won't chance anyone else seeing what's mine." He doesn't make a move to take me inside. Instead he grabs my ass with both hands as I grind into him, pushing me further into him.

"I like having your mouth on me almost as much as I like having my mouth on you," I say as I grind one more time. I have one hand on his bare chest and one hand down his pants, holding on to his dick.

"You know what I want to do? Right after I do this," he says as he rips my frilly blouse right down the middle. I gasp in surprise, but when I see the savage look in his eyes, my panties dampen even more. "I want to carry you upstairs, handcuff you to my bed and eat your pussy until I bring you to the edge of orgasm. Then, I want to hit your pussy over and over again with my riding crop before I fuck you so hard, you'll beg me to stop. Except I won't stop. Instead, I'll flip you over and stick my dick in your mouth and come all the way down your throat. That's what you do to me. You make me want to lose all control when I'm around you."

Those words have my heart racing. Before I can respond, he grabs my hair again, pushing my face closer to his before he kisses me roughly. He lowers his hand from my hair and puts both hands on my ass again. This time he grinds into me, causing me to feel all of him.

"Ah," is the only thing I can manage to say.

"Ah what?"

"I want you to do that. Take me upstairs. I'll be completely at your mercy," I say as I kiss his neck. I hear his moan as I slowly trace my tongue along his neck.

"You don't know what you're saying. If you're completely at my mercy, that means I own your body. Are you ready for that?"

"Yes," I say as quickly as possible. "I trust you."

He pulls back to look at me. He doesn't say a word, he simply pulls my bra aside and takes one of my nipples in his mouth. He's not gentle. He's not gentle at all as he bites and pulls on my nipple.

"More," I say urging him on. "I always want more."

"Mine," he says as he attacks my breast again. His hands are back on my ass, and I have one hand in his hair and the other down his pants. I'm doing my best to get some leverage, so I can jerk him off, but I can't seem to get in the right position. "I want to take you upstairs, but I can't find the strength to move you off my dick. I want to just fuck you right here. I want into that pussy right now."

"Yes, do it. Take it. I want your cock in me right now."

"You're a filthy girl, do you know what? A filthy girl like you deserves a mouth full of my cock."

His hands reach for my shorts. but we're interrupted when we hear a loud throat clearing.

"Boss, your father is here," I hear Gail say tentatively. I finally open my eyes and flush in embarrassment when I see Carrick standing behind Gail. He has his head turned in the other direction, making a point of not looking at us.

"Shit," I say as I turn away from Christian. I put my breast back in my bra and pulled my ripped shirt together.

"Thanks, Gail," Christian says. I can still see his erection through his pants as he breaths heavy. Gail smiles sheepishly before turning around and going back into the house.

"I'll wait for you two inside," Carrick says before he practically runs away.

"Oh my god! I'm so embarrassed. He heard our dirty talk, Christian! How am I ever going to be able to look at your father in the eyes again? He thinks I'm some sort of tramp now who grinds on his son in the great outdoors. Fuck!" I say as I hold my shirt together. I look down to see he had already unbuttoned my short, but I'm too embarrassed to let go of my ripped shirt to button my shorts.

"What? No, he doesn't. And we weren't in the great outdoors. This is my fucking backyard. Nothing to be embarrassed about, Ana. Let's go inside."

"Are you crazy? I can't go inside while he's in there. He heard you say the word pussy. I'm going home," I say. Even as I say it I know how ridiculous I sound.

"Don't be ridiculous. This is my house, and I'm not ashamed of anything we've done. I don't hide from anybody and neither should you, baby. Come here." He buttons my shorts and gives me a gentle peck on the mouth. "To be continued. Now you've earned yourself a spanking for wanting to go back to your place. When you're here, you are home. Come on."

He takes my hand and leads me back inside as I hold my shirt together with one hand. Gail's pouring a glass of white wine for Carrick as we walk in. He looks at us and lets out a loud chuckle.

"Hey, you two," he says as he takes a sip. I look around and see two suitcases and a garment bag put to the side. "You think your old man can move in, son?"

"What? You left your wife?" I ask in disbelief. I look at Christian because he definitely left that part out of his story.

"About that, I overheard what you said to mom, dad. I just got distracted, baby, and didn't get a chance to tell you."

"Distracted? Is that what you're calling it, son?" Carrick starts to laugh, but then he starts to cough. I can feel myself turning red from the humiliation. Christian leans down and kisses my ear.

"Go change and we'll talk over dinner, baby." I suddenly remember my state of near undress and run out of the kitchen.

Once I get into his massive closet, I take off my little shorts and ripped shirt. I need something conservative, I think to myself. I find a pair of designer, capri jeans and a sleeveless top that's long in the back. I'm satisfied when I see that it covers my chest and ass completely.

I can hear their voices as I make my way back to the kitchen.

"I was on my way to a hotel but decided against it. I didn't want word to get out and have this be written about by The Nooz. I hope you don't mind, son," I hear Carrick say.

"You can stay as long as you want, dad." They both turn to face me when I walk back.

"It's the beautiful, Ana," Carrick says. He comes over and kisses my cheek. "I mind as well tell you too, dear. I didn't leave Grace. I'm just taking a break. I'm so sorry for those awful things she said to you, Ana. I'm so embarrassed by my wife's behavior. This is not who we are as a family."

"No need to apologize, Mr. Grey. You didn't say those things, but I can't help but feel responsible," I begin but he cuts me off.

"It's Carrick, dear. And you're not responsible. Grace is."

"Don't worry about it, dad. Enough of that. I texted Elliot and Mia and invited them for dinner. They're both on their way, baby," he says to me. I just nod. What the hell else am I supposed to say. I'm still in shock over Carrick leaving his wife over this.

* * *

"Uncle Chrissy!" EJ says as he runs into his uncle's arms. I smile as they hug and EJ gives him a sloppy kiss on the cheeks.

"Grampy!" He says in shock as he sees Carrick standing there. He bursts into a fit of giggles as Carrick takes him from Christian. "Where's grammy?" He asks?

"Grammy's at home, buddy."

"I go see her," he says.

"Another day, okay?"

"No! I see her now."

Everyone stands around in silence. The one time I saw Christian's mother with EJ, he seemed to dote on him, and he loves her. Now, EJ is just collateral damage to what's going on.

"Hey, EJ, do you want to go see Tay?" Gail asks. EJ nods and she takes him from Carrick.

"I'll keep him over at our place. I'll have Taylor play ball with him in the yard, and I'll feed him dinner. Just come and get him whenever you're ready, Elliot. Take your time," Gail says. Elliot hands over EJ's bag.

"Gail, when you're sick of Taylor, give me a call, okay?" Elliot says with a flirty grim. Gail swats his arm and walks out with EJ, leaving us alone. Before the door closes, Mia walks in.

"Let the party begin, big brother!" She announces. She stops short when she sees Elliot and Carrick standing there.

"Hey, big brother and Ana. Hi, daddy," she says, hugging her dad. "What's he doing here?" She asks pointing at Elliot.

"Nice to see you too, Mia," Elliot says sarcastically, but Mia ignores him. She looks around the room instead.

"Where's EJ, dad? I haven't seen him in a while."

"You can come and see him whenever you want. You used to come by almost every night. The door's still open," Elliot says, but Mia ignores him again. I feel bad when Elliot's shoulders hang in defeat.

"He's with Gail and Taylor, princess. I wanted to talk to everyone tonight," Carrick announces. I try to remain out of sight. In fact, I take several steps towards the back of the kitchen in an attempt to make a getaway. Christian catches my eye and walks to where I'm standing. He wraps his arm around my waist, holding me to him and ensuring I can't flee. Fuck.

"This is your family business, Christian. I'll go hang out with Gail and Jason."

Carrick must have heard me because he turns towards me.

"Nonsense, Ana. You're family. End of story." He points for everyone to sit, and we do. He tells everyone what happened today between me and Grace, and Christian and Grace. Everyone is stunned into silence until Mia talks.

"You _left_ mom? Are you kidding me? This is all your fault, Elliot," she says while pointing at him. A look of both hurt and frustration crosses over Elliot's features, but it's Christian who speaks first.

"Grow up, Mia. Elliot had nothing to do with this." This from Christian.

"You two always stick up for each other, and I'm always the one left out. I went to Elliot for help, Christian, and he wouldn't even listen to me. He just ran to you with the evidence. He knew what this would do to our family and didn't care."

"Nobody leaves you out, Mia. Are you so myopic that you can't see what the fuck's going on here?" Christian says. In an attempt to sooth him, I run my hands across his shoulders, and he immediately calms down.

"Myopic? Really, Christian? You're just going to cut our mother out of your life? What about the vows you took, dad? You're going to walk out on our mother? Why am I even wasting my time talking to you traitors when mom needs me?"

I stay out of her issues with Elliot and her dad, but her words around Christian rub me the wrong way.

"Mia, your mother cut Christian out long before he did. You're being unfair," I say to her.

"So, you know how this family works now? You've been around for five minutes, and it's in those five minutes things really started going to shit," she says to me.

"Mia, you shut your fucking mouth right now. Don't come in my house and talk to Ana that way. You can get the fuck out if you're going to act like a three year old who refuses to see reason. You're not a damn child anymore so grow the fuck up," Christian says to his sister. He leaves my side and starts to point in her face, but I grab his arm and pull him back to my side as Mia starts to cry and to walk towards the door, but Carrick grabs her arm and pulls her back.

"Enough! No one is walking out of this house until I say all I have to say. Mia, you love your mother and I love you for it. I was you just a few hours ago. I defended your mother throughout all of this. I understand that you just want our family back to how it was. So do I, and I believe so do your brothers, but the problem is not with us, honey. Something happened to your mother, and as much as I want us back, she needs to be the one to fix it. None of us are perfect, but she just won't let things go. I didn't leave your mother, Mia. I still love her, but I need her to show me that she's willing to do what it takes to mend this family. I've been on you boys to fix things when you didn't break them in the first place. I told her that before I would even consider moving back in, she'd have to seek counseling. That woman needs a professional to figure out what the hell is wrong with her," he says. I hold back my smile. She needs more than that. She probably needs shock treatment too.

"Yeah, she needs a fucking lobotomy," Elliot says.

"Enough, Elliot. Before you go off on your brothers, look at the evidence, okay?" He goes into his briefcase, pulls out his laptop and shows them what went on between me and Grace Grey just a few hours ago.

I turn my head, having no desire to see what I just experienced live and in color. Christian doesn't look either. He just holds me against his chest and rubs my back, but that doesn't shield me from the words that are being said. I refuse to shed any tears over what Grace said to me about my mother.

Once the video ends, there's nothing but silence in the room.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Elliot says loudly. "This is our mother? I'm sorry, Ana. I hope you know it's all bullshit. My brother is crazy about you."

"I know. You don't have to apologize for anything, Elliot." I want to tell him that everyone in his family besides his mother has been great, but I don't because he already knows.

I don't hear words from Mia, but I hear her sobs as she sits at the breakfast bar. She quickly wipes the tears from her eyes before she turns towards me.

"I'm sorry, Ana. I was awful to you just now. Please forgive me, but please know that this isn't the mother I grew up with. Grace Grey is kind to everyone. She adopted all of us and gave us everything, Ana. Not just things, but love, affection and undivided attention. She's the best mother, and I can't just turn my back on her. She's going to need somebody," she says between sobs.

"No one is asking you to do that, Mia," Elliot says to her.

"I know. I'm sorry for the way I treated you, Elliot. I wanted someone to blame and I lashed out at you. And Christian and Ana, I'm sorry for what I said here today. Please forgive me."

Elliot hugs her, and I can see the relief in his face when she hugs him back. She walks to me and Christian, but Christian doesn't make a move, so I reach out to her and embrace her.

"I'm sorry," she sobs. I'm not sure if she's sorry for her actions or those of her mother, but I simply hug her and tell her everything is forgiven.

"I'm sorry, Christian," she says to her brother, whose only response is a curt nod.

"And I want to apologize to you boys," Carrick says. "It's up to your mother to fix things, and it's up to you to forgive her or not. With her award night coming up, I know I've pressured you boys to show up, but I'm not doing that anymore. You're adults and I need to treat you as such. You won't hear another word about it from me. I want to say that I'm proud of all three of my kids. Mia, for the love and support she's shown to her mother. Elliot for stepping up and being a great father when EJ came into his life. Christian for showing so much courage when his life was spinning out of control. We might not always agree, but I'm proud that you three always stand up for what you believe in, and you're never afraid to speak up and be heard. You always do the best in the circumstances thrown at you. I know I can always trust your judgment. And Ana, thank goodness you've stuck by my son even when you know just how crazy and dysfunctional our family really is. You're the real hero here because it's been a total shitshow for a while now," he says with a smile and everyone chuckles.

"Don't remind us that Christian is the only Grey sibling in a relationship. Dad, do you know he threatened to kick my ass if I went after Ana the first time I saw her?" Elliot says as he makes his way to the fridge in search for food.

"Shut up, Elliot," Christian says.

"Wait? I had a choice between you two?" I ask playfully as I walk away from Christian and start to set the table for dinner.

"No, you didn't, Ana. Elliot, don't make me kill you," he says, but he's not smiling.

"Yes, Elliot. I don't want to have to defend your brother for murder. Criminal law is not my specialty," Carrick says.

And just like that, the tension is broken. Mia jumps up and helps me set the table as Christian grabs a bottle of wine. Elliot opens a can of beer, and hands one to his father.

Gail and Taylor come back because EJ wanted his grampy. Gail and Taylor joins us for dinner, Carrick sits EJ on his lap and the rest of us join them at the huge kitchen table.

We sit with Christian at the head of the table and me to his left and eat dinner together as a family.

 **A/N: Well, things are looking up even though Grace is now on the outside looking in. Will she continue to push her family away, or will she finally wake up and try to make amends? Update coming up soon.**


	21. Chapter 21

ALL CREDIT TO ELJ

CHAPTER 21

CHRISTIAN

"Look at this this way," Ana mumbles as she brushes her teeth, "if things work out between him and Kate, we won't have to hear about his blue balls anymore." She wrinkles her nose at the thought.

Elliot dropped EJ off Friday night, and texted a few hours ago letting us know he won't be back to pick him up until Sunday morning.

"Oh, sweet, innocent Ana," I say with a smirk as she rinses out her mouth.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She asks. I watch fascinated as she puts moisturizer on her face as part of her nightly routine. I never knew sharing a bathroom with a woman would be so intimate.

"It means it's only going to get worse. He's going to tell us every single detail of every sex act." Her eyes widen in horror and I laugh.

"You're kidding, right?" I follow her out of the bathroom.

"I kid you not."

"He'll probably just tell you. God, I hope he just tells you. Surely your brother won't talk to his brother's girlfriend about his sex life with her friend."

"Think about it, baby. This is Elliot. What do you think?"

She slaps her hand over her forehead.

"What have I done?" She asks in horror. "I'll do my best to avoid him."

"And you're going to let me be victim to his crassness?"

"He's your brother," she says with a shrug. "Come on. Let's go check on him," she says with a smile. I follow her out of the bedroom and into the room I had designed for EJ. We look at him as he sleeps on his batman bed.

I walk over and pick up the blanket that he's managed to throw on the floor in such a short time and cover him up.

"How does he manage to do that every time?"

"He's so cute when he sleeps," she says wistfully. She walks over and brushes her hand through his blond curls before planting a soft kiss on his forehead.

"And he's a damn terror when he's awake. He drove us crazy at the aquarium today."

"He's an angel. Taylor shouldn't have given him all that candy."

We watch him sleep for a few minutes before I take her and lead her back to our bedroom.

It's been about a week since dad moved in and caught us grinding in the back yard. Ana has refused to let me handcuff and spank her as long as my father is under the same roof. I tried to get around that by going to her house one night, but we walked in to Jose and Floyd getting amorous on the couch.

We tried to stay in Ana's room, but the house is so small that we heard more than we wanted to. After an uncomfortably loud moan, we left and went back to my place, only to walk in on dad having a conversation with his wife.

 **A FEW DAYS AGO**

" _I'm glad to hear it, Grace, but that's not enough. You've only been to the shrink once. I need you to show me you're serious," we heard him say. We tried to walk past him, but he held his finger, signaling for us to us wait._

" _Am I supposed to feel sorry for you because you miss your sons? You're the one who pushed them away!" He says not too kindly. Ana gave me a look and tried to escape, but I hold on to her._

 _Growing up, my parents hardly fought. Carrick always did whatever it took to make mom happy, but every once in a while, he'd refuse to defer to her and stand his ground. This is one of those times._

" _No, Grace. Not yet. And I don't give a fuck what the neighbors think, or what anybody else thinks for that matter. That's your problem. You're so obsessed with how others see your family, your children, that you push your own children away. Well, these are the seeds that you've sown, sweetheart. Enjoy the fruits of your labor." He listens again._

" _Oh my god. Your dad is a badass," Ana whispers to me in awe of Carrick. "Is this the same guy?"_

" _Every once in a while, he mans up," I joke._

" _I can do that, but you need to go by yourself a few more times. And, no, I won't ask that of them. I've pushed them enough. If you want them to do that, you have to ask them yourself. I told you I was done doing your dirty work. Now, good night!" And with that he ends the call._

" _Thank you, dad, for making us stand here to hear that very awkward conversation," I say to him. Ana turns her head to hide her laugh into my bicep._

" _Oh, that was nothing, guys. You should have heard the conversation we had this morning when she barged into my office. But, I don't want to talk about your mother. Your grandparents called and wants us over for Sunday for your grandmother's birthday. I told them I'd let you know."_

 _I can feel Ana stiffen at my side. Grace would certainly be there for Sunday dinner at her parent's house._

" _We'll let you know," I say to him, waiting for him to argue with me and tell me exactly why I need to go. I brace myself for the lecture about healing our fractured family, but I don't get it. He simply nods._

" _Sounds good. How about you two join me for a drink."_

"Let's go before he wakes up," she says. I don't complain. I don't mention the fact that she was in the pool with EJ for hours and he'll be passed out for about twelve more hours. I don't say any of that because I want to be alone with Ana, who's been all about EJ since Elliot dropped him off.

"Ms. Steele," I say as we step into the master bedroom, and I throw her against the wall, pinning her with my body. "How is it that with two houses between us, one of which is, as you say, as big as the airport, we still can't have any privacy? You told me about a week ago that you were going to give me complete control of your body, but I still haven't tied you up and had my way with you. We need to remedy that immediately." And to show her I mean business, I grab her, take her to the bed and put her across my knee and smack her ass two times.

I hear her grown as she takes that bottom lip into her mouth. But, she soon shocks by biting the inside of my thigh through my pajama pants.

"I'm the one who does the biting around here," I say as I slap her ass hard, and lean down and nip the back of her neck with my teeth. She lets out a little yelp of surprise.

"You told me you didn't bite, remember?"

"That day I found you spying in here?"

"I got lost!" She lies. I slap her ass again.

"Stop lying."

"You've bitten me several times since then."

"Like this?" I ask right before I bite her again. She manages to jump off my lap and tackle me to the bed. I slide all the way up the huge bed with her little body on top of me.

"What are you going to do, Ms. Steele? You're going to pin me down? You weigh what? Ninety pounds? You're going handcuff me to the bed? I'm the only one with handcuffs around here," I say to her. She gives me a secret smile and straddles me as she puts her hands on my chest and pushes me down.

This is our game. I know what she wants. She wants to be on top and be in control. As much as I love and trust her, I'm just not there yet. I give her some time, though. I lay on my back as she grinds on top of me as she kisses the side of my neck. My dick is so hard, it's standing straight up as she grinds on top of it.

"I love you, Christian," she whispers in my ear.

"I love you too, my little siren," I say back. "I love you so much, I'm going to make sweet love to you tonight, but baby, when we get to New York next week, I'm going to make you regret denying me what I've wanted for so long."

"I've denied you nothing, Mr. Grey. You've been inside me so many times this week, I've lost count. My body is yours. And this is mine," she says as she pulls down my pants, exposing my cock. She takes it into her hands and slowly starts to jerk it.

I shock her by twisting her off my body. Before she can register what I just did, I pin her down while I grab both hands and put them above her head.

"Now what, siren?" I ask as I rub my exposed cock on her. Her nightgown is bunched around her waist as I rub against her panties, panties that I didn't buy her. "And where did you get these granny panties from?"

"Target," she says. "Before you."

"There's no more before me." I quickly take off her panties and nightgown, leaving her completely naked. I grab her by the waist, putting her on her knees in the middle of the bed. I quickly tie her hands behind her back with her giant panties. I get off the bed and pull her to the edge.

Her eyes are wide with want as she waits for my next move. She licks her lips as she looks at my erection. She breaths deeply as she waits for me to act.

"You want this?" I ask as I run the tip of my cock against her lips. She opens her mouth to take it in, but I pull it back. "Filthy girl," I say.

"Filthy only for you," she says huskily as she follows my cock with her eyes.

"Damn straight. Only ever for me," I say as I push my dick through her lips. As usual she takes all of me, but this is the first time her hands have been bound so she has to find her balance. My dick slips out of her mouth, but I guide it back and hold on to the back of her head. "That's right, baby. Take all of me."

* * *

I wake up to an empty and cold bed as I grab my phone to check the time. Before Ana I was never in bed until after nine on a Saturday. I yawn and stretch my naked body before jumping out of bed.

Last night was incredible, as is every night with her. I can't even complain about the fact that she won't have our first scene as long as my dad is under the same roof. Carrick Grey is constantly in our face. It didn't help that dad refused one of the smaller suites on the other side of the house. Oh, no. He said he'd be lonely and parked his ass in a room just down the hall from us. Instead of tying her up the way I've imagined, we've had put that off, but fuck if our lovemaking doesn't get more incredible each night.

I came so hard down her throat last night, I thought I was going to pass out. I was eating her pussy for minutes before I could get hard enough to fuck her into another dimension.

Eager to see her, I jump out of bed and take the quickest shower of my life. I hear music and giggles the closer I get to the kitchen.

I stop and watch as Ana dances to Beyonce's Single Ladies. She's waving her hand trying to teach EJ to dance like Beyonce. EJ has the hand waving down, but his legs look more like he's trying to stomp grapes instead of dance.

I spot dad at the breakfast bar, whistling and dancing with no rhythm. He has his phone taking a video of EJ has he dances and laughs. When the song ends, EJ claps and Ana picks him up, spins him around and kisses him.

I approach and kiss her cheek.

"Uncle Chrissy!" EJ jumps out of Ana's arms and into mine.

"Hey, buddy."

"Where's daddy?"

"He'll be here soon," I tell him.

"How about I make my favorite guy some banana pancakes?" Ana asks.

"I don't really want pancakes, baby. Can you make me an omelet instead?"

Ana looks at me and starts to laugh.

"Me!" EJ says. "My pancakes."

I tickle EJ and he laughs and squirms in my arms.

"I don't think so, buddy. I'm Ana's favorite guy, not you. Omelet, please, baby." I say as I take EJ back to the breakfast bar.

"Oh, man. I can't decide between banana pancakes or an omelet," dad says.

"No one asked you, old man," I say to him.

"You don't need to choose, Carrick. I'll make a little bit of everything." She then pours each of us a cup of coffee. "You want to help me, Christian? You haven't made us breakfast in a while." She says as she turns around to grab some stuff out of the fridge. Before I can think of a believable excuse, dad starts to laugh and then start to cough.

I give him a dirty look, but he just grins at me.

"Did you just say that my son cooked for you, Ana? What did he make, dear?" I try to kick dad under the breakfast bar to get him to shut up, but he just grins at me.

Ana lists the two breakfasts I brought her in bed. I should feel shame at how I lied about being able to cook, but I don't. I feel good because she loves it so much.

"I had no idea my son could cook. In fact, when he lived at home, he almost burned the kitchen making toast. After that, he wasn't allowed to use anything but the microwave. I can't wait for you to make me some of that French toast, Christian," dad says with a devilish grin.

"I'm gonna kick your ass out," I whisper in his ear.

"Tell me how you made that scrambler, Christian?" I give him a dirty look, but he only laughs.

Thankfully, Elliot walks in and I'm saved. I almost want to kiss him. EJ runs out of my arms and into his dad's arms.

I look at him, and his clothes are wrinkled. His hair's a mess and he has a five o'clock shadow. He definitely didn't spend the night at home. The idiot just strolls in, grabs my coffee and starts to drink it.

"I missed you, buddy," he says to EJ as they hug.

The five of us sit down and enjoy a breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and bacon and mimosas for the adults.

"I thought you said you didn't like banana pancakes," Ana says, giving me the side eye as I grab my third. I make sure to grab one before Elliot inhales them all.

"I didn't know they would taste so good. I guess I just don't like mom's banana pancakes," I say back.

"These are much better," Carrick says with a wink.

"So, Elliot, why did you come here wearing what's obviously yesterday's outfit? You look like a hobo," I say to him.

"Let's just say it was a night to remember. These clothes were bunched up in a corner." He looks at dad, who's shaking his head. "I'd tell you more, but I don't want to give the old man here a heart attack. It's definitely not G-rated."

Ana snorts.

"It must not have been that good since you're here this early," I say to him.

"It was amazing, dude. And I came to get EJ. The four of us are going out to breakfast."

"Then why the hell did you eat up all our damn pancakes if you're going out to eat?"

"Because I really worked up an appetite, if you know what I mean." He nudges me and gives dad the side eye.

"Thank you, Elliot. Please be mindful of this old man. On that note, I'm going to get EJ dressed for you." Dad help clears his and EJ's dishes and scoops him up and takes him upstairs.

Ana tried to make a run for it, but I grab her arm and pull her on my lap.

"You did this, Ana. You're not leaving me here to hear all the sordid details by myself," I say to her. Elliot gives us a knowing smile before he starts to talk.

"You guys know how private I am about such things but let me say that my ball are so hollow right now. I could turn them inside out and there would be nothing in them. And I ate so much pussy, I can still taste it on my tongue."

"Disgusting. Let me out of here, Christian," Ana says trying to get out of my grip.

"I'd show you, but Ana might realize she's with the wrong Grey." Elliot lets out a loud laugh and pours himself another mimosa as he grabs my last pancake from my plate. "Seriously, it was amazing. Kate's amazing. She's funny, smart and downright scary. Jackson's father called while we were at her house and she told him off so bad that I felt sorry for the guy. Well, I would if he wasn't such a deadbeat, but that's a story for a different day. Anyway, we want to hang out some more with the boys. I have a change of clothes in the car so I'm just going to shower and change here."

That bastard inhales my pancake, leaves his dirty dish on the breakfast bar and runs outside. He's back in under a minute with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder.

"That's for keeping EJ last night. My dick and balls thank you, too." The fucker says as he rushes out of the kitchen.

"I'm going to need therapy after that," Ana says as I finally let her out of my grip.

"Actually, he was pretty tame. If he wasn't in a rush, he'd give us every sordid detail," I stand up and wrap my arms around her. "I'm pro pussy eating myself. Let's leave these dishes and go upstairs so I can have dessert."

* * *

A FEW DAYS LATER

ANA

"Look at what the cat dragged in. What are you wearing today? Prada? Gucci?"

I roll my eyes at my dramatic friend as I take a seat in the kitchen of the café.

"Target," I sass back.

"No one with a bodyguard should walk around wearing Target. I'm surprised you have time to see me at all."

"You're so dramatic. I saw you last night and this morning."

"Oh, that's right. I made tacos for you and your rich boyfriend's daddy last night. I almost passed out when Carrick was up and dressed for work by seven this morning with as much margaritas as he drank."

I nod at Jose because Carrick was pretty drunk. We both had to help him to his room, but the three of us had a great time. With Christian flying to New York yesterday, I told him I was going to stay home when he insisted I go to his place. When he realized I was serious, he told Jose that he could stay at his place, but only if I went there with him. Of course, when Jose heard this, there was no changing his mind. I still remember the smug look Christian gave me when Jose pretended to faint at the invitation.

"And don't think I don't know your boyfriend was just using me to get you to stay at his fortress. With a house like that, he can use me anytime. That was top shelf tequila that went into those margaritas last night."

"I have a situation," I blurt out to Jose. It's that quiet time after the breakfast rush but before lunch. There's no one in line, and he's in the back making sandwiches, so I stand up and grab an apron to help my friend. Since school started this week, my hours working at the café has been cut in half.

"Aren't you leaving for New York in like two hours?" He asks.

"Yup, and we'll be back Sunday around noon. The problem is that Sunday is his grandmother's 78th birthday. Remember his cousin, Shana? The one who got married in Montana two months ago?" He nods. "She's in charge of throwing the party. She's already called him three times about it."

"And G-Money loves his grammy and wants to go?" I nod.

"We're supposed to go from the airport."

"And this is Dr. Bitch's mother?" I nod again. "The same mother G-Money threatened to get a restraining order on if he so much as looked at you?" Another nod.

"What's the problem?" He asks.

"The problem is I don't want to be around her. I think I'm going to pretend to be sick so I won't have to go." At that he laughs.

"Dios mio. This is what happens when you wait until you're twenty fucking three to get a boyfriend. That's some high school shit, Ana. And your ass is the worst actress. Say you do pull it off, and he buys it. He stays home to nurse you back to health, and you know he will. What happens next time? What happens when it's grandpa's birthday? Or Mia's? Or when EJ turns three? Or the fucking holidays which are just around the corner. You're going to be sick all of those times too? Grow up," he says without missing a beat.

"Thanks for listening, Jose. I came here to talk to my best friend, not get a lecture," I say as I yank the apron off and toss it to the floor.

"You know your BFF doesn't sugar coat shit. Sit down and listen. You don't run from that bitch. You've already won. She's on the outside looking in, and you have that man wrapped around your little finger. Let me ask you this? Did he ask you to go with him on Sunday?"

"Well come to think of it, he didn't ask. He just told me like it was already established that I would be going."

"My point exactly. You're at a point in your relationship that it's just understood that you'll be going to all family functions. You want to know what you should do? You go to that party and you charm the hell out of grandma and whoever the fuck else will be there just by being yourself. Christian Grey fell for you for a reason. You're sweet and charming, Annie. Everyone but that dragon lady bitch loves you, and her issues ain't even about you. Fuck her. You fuck that man's brains out the morning before the flight and on the flight. Blow him in the car while you're driving there. You have the pussy, so you have the power. Girl, lay that pussy on him so good, he'll slay the devil himself if he tries to fuck with you."

"You think so?" I ask

"I know so. With a much damage at Dr. Bitch has already done, the rest of the family will be bending over backwards to make up for her nastiness towards you. And I bet you that bitch will be sweet as pie on Sunday. You just tell her to go fuck herself in as nice a way as possible."

"She'll probably just stay away since she wants her husband to come back home. The woman thinks so little of me that she thinks I profited from Carla's death. You think she'll want to approach me?"

"Fuck yeah, she will. Her damn husband is living with you and her son. Remember how she called and practically begged him to come back last night? And that Carrick was already so drunk that he didn't even leave the room when he told her he was done cleaning up her messes, and that he would come home when he was damn good and ready. Grace Dr. Bitch Grey is going to start kissing your ass, girl. That bitch played herself. My point is, Ana, don't shy away from anybody. I know you hate drama, but you didn't cause it and you damn sure won't let that bitch keep you out. Go and have fun and let Grace Grey wallow in it. The end. Now come here and give me a hug. Bring me something good from New York."

* * *

Even though it's only been about thirty six hours since I saw Christian, I miss him like crazy and I'm disappointed when I land in New York and told that his meeting ran late, and he'd meet me at the apartment.

Apartment was an understatement. This is a huge penthouse that overlooks central park. It's dark when I get there, but I stand at the huge window just looking at the lights and feel the energy of the city.

When Christian texts to let me know he's only ten minutes away, I rush to the master bedroom to change. I'm not sure how he will feel about this since I know he likes to be in control of these things, but I just want to surprise him.

I take off my clothes and put on the surprise, and I dim the lights in the bedroom. My heart is beating out of my chest when I hear his footsteps followed by my name. I'm not sure how to position myself, so I just go and look out the window in nothing but the black lacy thong I bought just for this occasion.

I know he sees me the instant he opens the door. He doesn't speak. I hold my breath as he slowly walks towards me. His walk is that of a predator who's already caught his prey. He stands as close to me as possible without touching me, fueling the goosebumps in my body.

"Turn," he commands, and I know he gets exactly what this is.

I turn and look up into his eyes. His eyes lock with mine for a minute, but then he breaks our stare. He takes a step back and looks at my body. When his eyes make it back to my face, I hold his stare.

"I did not give you permission to look at me, Ms. Steele. You will avert your gaze until you are told otherwise." I immediately look down. "You will go over there," he points to a corner in the room, "and you will stand there until I come back for you. Do you understand?"

"Yes," I say nervously.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, Christian?" Without any warning, he slaps my ass hard. Very hard.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, sir?"

"You will learn, Ms. Steele. I will have fun teaching you. Now, go." I walk over to the corner, my knees cobble, and wait. My back is turned to him the entire time. I hear him walk and close the door to what I think is the closet. He's gone for a few minutes until he comes back to stand in front of me. My eyes are still cast down, but I can see that he's changed into some jeans and that his feet are bare.

He circles me, admiring my nearly naked body. He takes his index finger and runs it along my spine. I hear him drop something, and in the next second, he's braiding my hair into a single braid down my back. When he finishes, he gives me a wet kiss on my shoulder, causing moisture to form between my legs.

"Absolutely perfect," he whispers. He comes back to stand in front of me. "You may look at me," he says, and I do.

"You please me, Ms. Steele, even though you've been a naughty girl denying me this for so long." He grabs one of my breasts and just plays with the nipple. He's not putting much pressure, but he softly rolls the nipple between his thumb and index finger. He knows how much this turns me on. I swear the man can get me off just with nipple play alone. I can feel both nipples harden, and I can feel my clit throbbing in my thong.

"I haven't denied you, sir," I say.

"I didn't ask you a question, Ms. Steele. You will speak only when you are asked a question. Do you understand?"

"Yes." He slaps my ass.

"Yes, sir," I amend.

"Take off your thong," he says, and I immediately comply. "My plan was to take things slow, but I've waited for so long, I don't know if I'll be able to go slow." Waited so long? We fuck every day, and never less than two times, but I know better than to point that out.

He pulls out a riding crop and runs it across my breasts, down to my navel and rests it on top of my pussy.

"This pussy's driven me crazy for months. Even now that it's mine, I can never get enough of it. Get on the bed and spread your legs for me. If you want me to slow down, say yellow. If you want me to stop, say red." My knees are weak as I walk to the bed and do as he commands. I expect him to get on top of me and eat me out, but he doesn't. Instead he looks at me for several minutes, each minute making me long for him more. My nipples are now two hard pebbles on my chest. I know that if Christian were to take me now, his huge dick would slide inside of me without any problems.

He goes to the end table and pulls out a blindfold, leaving me in total darkness as he ties it around my head. Next, he takes my left arm and I feel a something furry on my wrist. I hear a chain and what sounds like a lock. He climbs over me and cuffs my right wrist to the headboard.

"I've wanted this for so long, Ana. Thank you for trusting me," he says.

"I love you," I say as an explanation. I expect to be punished since he didn't ask a question, but there's no punishment.

"I know you do, baby, but you're such a filthy girl. I was only going to give you three swats across this beautiful, pink pussy that's spread out only for me, but you just kept putting me off. Now I'm going to double it. And when I'm done, you're going to open that beautiful mouth and take my cock all the way down your throat. All the way down. But I'm not going to come down your throat," I moan in disappointment. "I want us to finish together with me buried so deep in your pussy."

I'm caught completely off guard when I feel a sting across the top of my pussy. Before I can adjust to the sting, he gives me another hit. I writhe and pull at the handcuffs but I'm stuck, completely at his mercy.

"Keep moving and I'll shackle your ankles too," he says right before his mouth devours my pussy. I throw my head back and feel as he works his magic with his tongue. I throw a foot over his shoulder, giving him better access while I call out his name. He eats me slowly. He circles my clit with his tongue, but he doesn't put enough pressure to get me off. Damn him.

He stops, and I feel two more hits.

"Fuck!" I say because that hurts. He goes back down on me, throws my leg over his shoulder and sticks his tongue completely inside of me this time. I can feel my juices leaking out, but before I can fall over the edge, he pulls out and hits me twice more. I slowly exhale, realizing that was the sixth hit. I wait for him to eat my pussy again, but he doesn't. Instead, he removes the handcuffs and takes off the blind fold. He stands at the edge of the bed and quickly takes off his pants and boxers, and points towards his dick.

I take him all the way in. He hisses and throws his head back. I grab his shaft and start to jack him off as I suck his dick. I alternate between jerking his dick and cupping his balls, all the while never letting his dick leave my mouth. I crave the taste of him. I want him to lose all control and fill my mouth with his cum.

"Enough, baby. Stop. Get on your back." As soon as I get on my back, he climbs on top of me, and without any warning he's inside of me. "I want to look at your face when you come apart. I want to feel your pussy as I come."

He starts to thrust after he says that. He pins my hands above my head, and he grinds into him, filling me to the hilt. I wrap my legs around him, allowing him to go even deeper. I want to scratch as his back or pull his hair, but he's holding me completely immobile. I can feel my orgasm start to build and I close my eyes as I lose myself in him.

"Look at me. I want you see you," he says, and I lose it. I crash. I call out his name as I convulse underneath him. He climaxes right after I do. He lets go of my arms and he jerks and spasms on top of me, calling my name.

He stays on top of me as we both come down from our high. When he finally rolls off me, he pulls me into his arms and kisses every inch of my face.

"God, you're incredible and I love you so fucking much. Thank you," he says to me.

"That was incredible, but I have a feeling you went easy on me," I say as I rub my hand over my store pussy.

"Baby steps. Are you hungry? I want to take you to a place called Per Se. They have a great tasting menu."

"Sounds good," I say as I wrap my body around him. "I don't care what we do. I just missed you so much, which is ridiculous considering I saw you just yesterday morning. I'm pathetic, aren't I?" I ask.

"Hmm? The girl who wouldn't give me the time of day now can't be away from me for a day? You're definitely pathetic," he says. I look up at him in shock only to be met with his laughter. I swat at his chest, but he grabs both of my hands and pins me underneath him, kissing me desperately.

"If you're pathetic, then so am I. All I could think about was how I need to travel less so I won't be away from you for days on end. Or heaven forbid a week or longer. I missed you, too." He kisses me again, slowly this time. We make love one more time before we walk through Central Park to the most beautiful restaurant I've ever seen.

Per Se is located at the top of The Mandarin Hotel, overlooking Central Park. We enjoy nine dishes on the tasting menu, each paired with a different wine. We feed each other and kiss between courses. We talk about nothing and everything.

After nine glasses of wine, Christian has to practically carry me out of the restaurant, and instead of walking back to his apartment, we walk into a waiting car.

As we climb into bed that night, we lay facing each other, completely naked, and gaze at each other, each of us just breathing each other in. As our eyes lock, I reach over and place my hand on his bare chest and give him a wistful smile.

"What is it, baby?" He asks. "What's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong. Everything is absolutely perfect. I've never been so happy."

"Me neither," he says. He picks up my hand from his chest, kisses my palm before laying it back against his heart.

"I'm so afraid that it won't last. Nothing this good could ever last," I whisper.

He picks up my hand again, this time lacing our fingers together.

"You're it for me. The only thing that can separate us is death, and neither one of us is going anywhere anytime soon. And even death can only separate temporarily. It would just be a minor inconvenience. I promise you, Anastasia Rose Steele, that we will be together until I take my last breath."

* * *

"I'm still hungover," I say to Christian as we're riding in the back of a limousine on our way to his grandmother's birthday celebration.

"You weren't too hungover when you fucked me twice this morning and blew me on the plane. Not that I'm complaining," he says as he pulls one of my nipples. I hit his hand away playfully.

After a busy weekend of touring New York City, shopping, another decadent dinner at The River Café, followed by first row seats to see Hamilton, we're both completely exhausted. After Hamilton, we went back to the penthouse and consumed so much champagne before falling into bed and losing ourselves in each other.

I woke up this morning confident in his love and in our relationship. I decided to take Jose's advice and put him in a sex trance. I'd blow him now, but we just pulled into the driveway. Instead I grab him by the lapels of his jacket and kiss him.

Once we step out of the car, dressed in a floral fit and flare Carolina Herrera dress. I didn't want the dress. In fact, I thought we were going shopping to buy grandma Trevelyan a present until Christian told me that his grandparents prefer a donation to one of their charities in lieu of gifts.

Christian insisted I get this dress, and it was only when I saw the designer that I decided to get it and to wear it here today. I feel guilty for walking into this house wearing a three thousand dollar dress, and nine hundred dollar ballet flats, but this is part of being with Christian Grey, and he loves me whether I'm wearing designer or not. In fact, he loves me the most when I'm naked.

Elliot opens the door before we get a chance to knock.

"About fucking time, asshole," he says to Christian. He takes me hand and kisses it, annoying Christian enough so that he yanks my hand away from Elliot's.

"You're so easy, bro. Don't worry, Kate's here. And so is our dear mother, who's doing her best to act like everything is just peachy, even though dad won't give her the time of day."

"Thank you for the news update, Barbara Walters," Christian says to him as we walk inside.

Theo is the first to greet us.

"Adelle, Ana and Christian are here. Ana, Cary was telling us about your banana pancakes. Christian, your grandma and I are inviting ourselves over for brunch next Sunday. Adelle wants to cook with Ana again. Come on back, kids. We have cocktails," he says as he takes my hand. Christian and Elliot follow.

EJ runs into his uncle's arms, and I see Kate holding on to Jackson, who seems a little unsure about all the strangers.

I walk over and offer to take him, and he comes.

"Looking good, Ana," Kate says. "I want to do lunch this week. I have to tell you about Elliot. OMG! That's all I'm going to say for now. It's a wonder I can still walk."

"I just knew you two would be perfect for each other," I say.

"It's about time you two show up," Adelle Trevelyan says as she hugs both me and Christian. "You both look wonderful. Ana, that baby looks good in your arms. Hint. Hint. I'm not getting any younger."

I blush at the implications. I put Jackson down as he starts to get restless in my arms.

"Have some of these cocktails Shana put together. I can't have them, so you kids enjoy." She hands a fruity drink to me a Christian, and despite being hungover, I drink it all.

"Your mother's outside with Mia. They bought a bunch of toys for the kids, so they're opening them," Adelle says conversationally. I know that she doesn't know that Carrick moved out, or the extent of the tension between Grace and her sons. Theo knows, but they've kept it from Adelle due to her heart issues.

We nibble on appetizers and chat with Shana and her husband. After about ten minutes, it's decided that everyone will be going to Christian's next Sunday for brunch.

"How the hell did everyone manage to invite themselves?" Christian asks.

"Blame your father and those banana pancakes," Theo says.

"Hey boys," Mia says as she comes in from outside. "Let's go play." Both boys leap towards Mia. She quickly waves at us and blows us a kiss before the toddlers pull her outside.

"Come on, grammy!" I hear EJ yell. I feel Christian tense next to me. He leans down and kisses my ear.

"I'll throw her in the Sound if she even breathes near you," he whispers in my ear.

"Grammy will be right there, sweetheart. I'm going to go find you the bubble lawn mower," she says with a smile in her voice. For a second, she actually sounds like a doting grandmother.

She almost misses a step when she sees us. I can see the uncertainty in her eyes. She looks vulnerable and exposed as she looks at us. She looks at me, and I'm not sure if she's looking at the dress, but I give her a smug smile.

"Christian. Ana," she says. "Welcome back. How was New York?" She asks tentatively. "I heard you two went to see Hamilton. Mia and I are planning a trip soon to see it."

I don't know how to respond, and I can see that Christian isn't about to say anything. In fact, he turns away from her completely and starts a conversation with Shana's husband. Thankfully, his grandmother speaks.

"Oh, that sounds wonderful. Maybe we can make it a family trip and we can all go. Maybe right after Christmas?"

"I'd love that. I'd love to have my family together for a vacation," she says looking towards Christian, her eyes almost pleading, who's only reaction is to sip his drink and snort.

The front door opens, and Shana's parents walk in, along with some other relatives I never met.

Christian gets up and shakes hands with two young men. Before he can introduce me, his mother decides to make the introductions.

"Ana, these are my nephews, William and Theo, Shana's brothers. Boys, this is Christian's girlfriend, Ana."

We shake hands, and before Grace can say anymore, Christian tells his grandparents he's going to show me around outside. Elliot and Kate follow us.

"Dude, why is mom acting so damn nice?" I'm reminded of Jose's words. She's on the outside looking in, and she wants back in. I decide to keep my mouth shut about it.

"What are you talking about? Your mom is super nice," Kate says. That comment actually hurts considering how she's treated me.

"I'm going to let you continue to believe that since I might want to keep you," Elliot says right before he slaps her ass.

For the next few hours, we enjoy ourselves at his grandparents' house. We play with the kids and laugh as Grandpa Theo flirts with every woman he's not related to, only to have his wife remind everyone that he's on Viagra. We enjoy the buffet that Shana had catered. I listen to old family stories, and the entire time, Grace Grey watches me and Christian.

I know that look in her eyes. It's the same way Carla looked at me the day after she screwed up and told me she regretted having me. It's the look of shame and regret. It's the look you have on your face when you want to approach the person you've wronged, but you're too afraid of their rejection.

At one point, I noticed her and Carrick having a heated conversation far away from everyone else. I saw the look of defeat in the way she hung her shoulders as he walked away from her, denying her the chance to hug him.

She recovered quickly, though. In an instant, she was laughing and talking to her brother and mother, but her laugh was hollow and void of any real joy. If she wasn't such a huge bitch, I might actually feel sorry for her.

When it starts to rain, we all run inside to have dessert.

"Grammy, me and Jackson want cupcakes, please," EJ asks his grandma.

"Sure. Come on, boys," she says, taking them by the hand.

"Try this," I say to Christian, offering him some sort of pudding dish. "It's good, but doesn't taste as good as you. Your pudding is the best."

He laughs right as I'm about to put the spoon in his mouth, causing a glob of pudding to fall on his crisp, white shirt.

"Shit," I say. I put the dessert down and grab a linen napkin. I dip it in my ice water, and rub the pudding stain from his shirt, right on his left side of his chest. It takes a couple of minutes for me to rub the entire stain away.

"There," I say proudly. "Good as new."

"Thanks, baby. Good thing you cleaned it because I was going to charge you for this shirt," he says playfully. I pretend to be offended and start to hit his chest.

It's then that I notice that the room is completely silent. When I turn around, everyone is watching us.

"Why is everyone looking at us like that?" I ask Christian.

"Because of this." He takes both of my hands and lay my palms flat on his chest as everyone watches.

"I told you, Adelle," Theo says.

Grace lets out a loud sob, and her eyes fill with tears right as she runs out of the room.

"Come here, sweetheart," Adelle says to me. "I knew you were special since the second I laid eyes on you."

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay. I meant to update on Sunday, but I just couldn't get this done in time. Looks like Jose was right. Grace is on the outside looking in. Thank you for reading and reviewing. Until Laters.**


	22. Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

ALL CREDIT TO ELJ

ANA

"Why are you acting so weird?" I ask Christian as I walk from his back yard to the front door of his massive house.

"What are you talking about? I'm not acting weird," he says innocently. Too innocently, if you ask me. He's definitely acting strange and has been since yesterday. Since we're having his entire family over for brunch, minus Grace, I told him I wanted Jose to come and help me cook. He graciously invited Jose to spend the night last night. His entire family is here, and we've cooked nothing.

The funny thing is, nobody seems to mind. Ok, so Jose made some guacamole and pico de gallo, but that's it. Maybe they're just happy to be drinking Christian's top shelf liquor, as Jose calls it.

We have his grandparents, siblings, Kate, Elliot and the two boys, Jason, Gail, Shana and her husband. Even Shana's parents and brothers are here. I know that Jose invited Floyd, who might not be able to make it. Jose and I worked out an entire menu, but every time I suggest we start cooking, Christian interrupts. It's very strange considering how much he loves to eat anything I cook for him.

I abruptly stop walking and he collides with my back.

"Why are you following me so closely? And why did you insist on me getting the door? You are definitely acting strange," I say to him. He only shrugs his shoulder and smiles at me. I shake my head and continue my long trek to his front door.

When I finally get there, I open it only to shocked by who I see standing at the doorstep.

"Ray?" I say incredulously. He smiles, picks me up and spins me around.

"Surprise!" He says. "Christian here called and invited me to brunch." I immediately blush. I know Ray's met Christian before, but as Jose said, we're practically living together now, so it's a bit awkward for him to see us in our environment. "I don't know if I should be offended that my own daughter didn't invite me," he jokes.

"Well, I thought you were coming to see me next weekend. I'm happy you're here, though," I say as I hug him again. Ray and I have definitely taken steps to improve our relationship since Carla died. Her death was a wake up call, and shed light on his own mishaps in their marriage and how their behavior affected me. He's apologized so much for subjecting me to all the infidelity and fighting that went on with Carla.

"Hey, Christian," he says, shaking Christian's hand. We finally allow him in and I watch as he takes the house in. I remember the first time I came here and saw the opulence of Christian's house. I know exactly how Ray feels.

"Welcome, Ray."

"This is some place you have here," Ray says as spins around and looks from side to side.

"I like it. I think Ana likes it, too," Christian says with a wink. "You want a tour?"

I wait for Ray to turn him down because opulence is not his style, but I'm stunned speechless by Ray's next words.

"I'd love one," he says.

"Later, dad. We have a bunch of people outside, and Jose and I are making brunch. Oh, you want to grill? I was going to ask Christian to do it, but I miss your mad grill skills." I don't miss how Christian rolls his eyes at my statement. I wonder if he's jealous that I don't think his barbequing skills are up to par with my dad's.

Ray looks at Christian, and I could have sworn that they have this secret conversation just with their eyes.

"I'd love to, but I would really love a tour. This is some house."

Before I can talk him out of it, Christian takes the lead. He grabs my hand and for the next hour, we show Ray ever damn room in the house. He even shows him a gift wrapping room, which he failed to show me on my tour.

"Oh my god! You didn't show me this room on _my_ tour," I say to Christian.

"Well, I didn't want you to think I was pretentious," he says sheepishly. Ray lets out a loud laugh, and I laugh too.

"The bowling alley and the indoor and outdoor swimming pools already told me you were pretentious," I joke. He pretends to be hurt, but he grabs me and plants a loud kiss on my lips, which made blush profusely since he did this in front of Ray, but Ray just laughs. "But seriously, I'm going to live in this room around Christmas time," I say.

"Before I leave here, I'd like to kick your ass at bowling, Christian," my dad says.

"Well, my dad used to take me and Elliot bowling all the time, so good luck trying to kick my ass," I say.

"What do you say, Annie? You and me against Christian and his dad? Does your brother play, Christian? If he does, it will be Annie, me and Jose against you guys."

"Bring it, Ray."

"You're going down, Grey," I say to him. Before he can respond, his phone vibrates, and he checks his messages. He takes a deep breath, almost as if he's relieved. Definitely acting weird.

"Let's go back outside," Christian says. "I'm getting hungry." He takes my hand and Ray follows us. Christian leans in to whisper in my ears. "And you're the one who will be going down on me when we kick your ass at bowling."

I don't respond. I just blush because I would hate for Ray to hear any of this conversation.

Instead, I change the conversation.

"I can't believe the time. We'll probably have to order take out since you kept interrupting me every time I wanted to start cooking. Jose's probably gotten everybody drunk by now," I say as he leads me outside. I'm so busy talking and chastising him that I don't initially recognize that the entire backyard has been transformed with tables, beautiful pink flower arrangements, balloons and people dressed all in white.

"What the hell?" I say right as everyone sees me.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone yells, and I'm stunned speechless as I look from Christian to my father.

"Surprise, baby! Happy birthday!" Christian says.

"What?" I gasp. "My birthday isn't until Wednesday."

"So, this is the perfect day to surprise you with a birthday party."

Everyone else starts to yell, and I hear bottles of champagne popping, but I'm too stunned to speak. It's then that I notice that the people dressed in white are a waitstaff and there are cooking stations set up, complete with a bar.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"It's your surprise party, Annie. Christian invited me."

"What? I'm supposed to cook for everyone," I say still not understanding what's going on.

"This is my fault for never having a birthday party for you, Annie. This was Christian's idea."

As Ray's words finally dawn on me, I feel my eyes pool with tears. As everyone else starts to approach, I bury my head in Christian's chest and let the tears fall. He kisses the top of my head as he rubs my back.

"I thought you'd like this," he says sound unsure.

"You know I don't like to be the center of attention, but I love this. I didn't even tell you my birthday's on Wednesday. I purposely didn't tell you," I say against his chest, my voice muffled.

"I know everything about you, baby. And you're the center of my world. I want everyone who loves you to share this day," he says.

I look up and everyone is there, waiting to hug me, but I need some more time with Christian. I jump up and wrap my legs around him, and I kiss him deeply, not caring who is watching.

And everyone is watching because I hear catcalls as I kiss him, along with a long whistle, which I'm sure came from Elliot.

"God, you're incredible, Christian Grey. Of course, you would do this! I love you so fucking much," I say kissing him again before I jump down. Elliot grabs me and hugs me, lifting me off my feet.

"We love you, girl," Elliot says before Carrick takes me from him and hugs me. For the next few minutes, everyone hugs and kisses me.

"So, you guys _don't_ want banana pancakes?" I ask, and everyone laughs.

"I'd love some," Elliot yells.

"Me, too," Carrick says.

"Hell no! Ana's not cooking for your sorry behinds today. This is her day," Christian announces.

I hear Michael Jackson's Remember the Time starts to play.

"How did I miss the fact that you have a DJ?" I ask.

"All 90's hip hop, baby. Or whatever you want, but I told him only 90's until you ask for something else."

More tears spill, but Christian simply kisses my cheek.

"You guys really got me. Now I understand why you and Jose have been acting so odd. How can you keep this from me, Jose? You broke BFF code," I say to him.

"BFF code has a clause for surprise parties. Let's dance," he says, as he grabs my hand. "Everyone, my BFF can dance her ass off. Grandma T, come on so we can show you how to twerk," Jose says to Christian's grandmother.

"Good idea, Jose. Maybe you can twerk for me later, Adelle," Grandpa T says.

"You better pop that Viagra now then," she sasses back, but he pulls out a bottle of pills out of pocket and shakes it.

"I'm always prepared," he responds.

* * *

CHRISTIAN

"This was a great idea, son," my dad says to me as we watch the dance off that's taking place right now. It's Jose, Elliot and grandpa against Ana, Mia and Kate. Grandma is catcalling every time grandpa takes the dance floor as some song from TLC plays.

We watch as Shana and her husband approach. Shana starts to dance with the girls, and her husband joins the guys.

Across from the dance floor, EJ and Jackson, both dressed as pirates, are having some sort of sword fight with Taylor as Gail takes pictures of them.

"Yeah. She had no idea," I chuckle.

"She's a great girl, son."

"You're only saying that because she cooked dinner for you practically every night this week, and she helped you figure out the washing machine," I joke at dad. Gail had gotten sick for almost a week, and Ana volunteered to cook for us this week. Dad took us out to dinner one day, but Ana cooked the for us the rest of the week.

One night, Ana found dad studying the washing machine like it was a mathematical equation he couldn't solve. After we both laughed at him, she decided to put him out of his misery and teach him how to work the machine.

"You act like I'm the only one who couldn't figure out that washing machine, son. And you know how to cook now? Give me a break. I hope I'm around when she finds out the truth." I only smiled and shrugged my shoulders at him.

"You act like I'm the first guy who ever told a little white lie to get a girl."

We look up as the dancers all start to argue as to who won the dance off. Elliot, the idiot, starts to shake his ass in the middle of the dance floor as everyone boos him.

"No more dance off. The girls won! Let's all dance now. Christian, go dance with your girl," grandma says. Ana's smile is all the encouragement I need to walk to her and take her in my arms as Mariah Carey starts to sing Fantasy.

A server walks by and Ana grabs a drink from the tray, and she offers me a sip.

"How many of those have you had, baby?" I ask.

"Don't know, but I'm having so much fun at my party. I don't think I've ever had a formal birthday party before. Last year, Jose and I got drunk off cheap tequila because I was in such a depression about having to quit school."

"And this year, he done nothing but drink my so called good stuff like it's water," I tease Ana.

"Thank you for doing this for me," she whispers as tears fill her eyes again. I sigh.

"Stop crying, Ana. You should have known I wasn't going to ignore your birthday. This is nothing. You should wait and see what I'm going to do next year."

Her eyes widen.

"What are you going to do?"

"Well, next year, I'm going to take my wife anywhere in the world that she wants to go."

"What? Your _wife_?"

Just then, one of the waitstaff signals that it's time to eat.

"Yes, my wife. Come on, let's go eat," I say with a wink. I take her drink, set it down somewhere and lead her the very long table. I take her to a giant chair decorated with pink balloons and streamers and sit her down.

Her eyes widen as a table full of gifts is brought from the side of the house.

"Are those mine?" She asks.

"It's your birthday, sweet girl. Of course, you're getting presents," grandma says. "Too bad Grace has to work today. She was really disappointed about not being able to come when we talked last night."

I can sense Ana stiffen. Elliot and I look at each other and roll our eyes.

"I bet she was," is all I say under my breath. Mia shoots me a warning look and Elliot lets out a big belly laugh, which causes EJ to also laugh.

"Funny, daddy," he says.

I stand next to Ana and champagne is passed around to everybody.

I clear my throat before I start to talk.

"Attention, please. So, thank you all for coming to celebrate the beautiful Anastasia Rose Steele's birthday; the girl who flipped my entire world upside down with just one look."

"That must have been one hell of a look!" Grandma yells out. Ana hides her face in her hands and laughs.

"I don't know what he's talking about. All I said was say can I help you," she says.

"He wanted to help himself alright," Elliot yells and everyone laughs.

"Let me tell you, I saw those so called looks between these two. Every morning for months they gave each other these long sultry glances. I thought the entire building was going to catch fire some mornings," Jose says as he fans himself.

"I haven't heard this story. Tell us more, Christian," my cousin Shana said.

"Well, Shana, one day I was minding my own business and was headed to work when I saw the most beautiful, blue eyed goddess working at the new coffee shop in the lobby. I had no control of my body after that as my legs led me directly to her, but how do you talk to an angel? I spent the next three months buying muffins from her each morning."

Everyone laughs at me, including Ana, who has managed to turn even redder.

"You ate muffins? No way!"

"I swear. I think I gained ten pounds in those three months. So, I was so pathetic that Taylor decided to befriend Ana to help me out. He brought Gail in on it, and they invite Ana to their bridal shower here. This was my moment until I became tongue tied when she got here. I spent the entire time staring at her and wiping drool off my chin. When I finally get her alone and asked her to give me a chance and go out with me, she turns me down flat." Everyone laughs, including grandma who slaps her leg. Ana's covering her face with her hands again.

"He was intimidating," she says, completely red in the face.

"He's a teddy bear, honey. Always has been," grandma says.

"But as I told Ana, I was undeterred, and I was not going to give up. I finally wore her down, and she gave me that chance, and now that I have her, I'm never going to let her go. Let me tell you about my Ana. Her outer beauty is only surpassed by her inner beauty. She's the most selfless individual there is. This is the only woman on earth who would try to keep her birthday a secret because she doesn't like being the center of attention. She came into my world and made it so much better. I thought I had everything a man could want. I have material things. I have financial success. I have a family who loves me, but there's nothing like Ana's love. Ana, baby, you're my sun and I can't survive without you. I only existed until you came along, but now that you're here, I'm living."

"Oh, Christian," Ana says as she stands up. I wipe the tears from her eyes before planting a kiss on her lips.

"I love you, baby," I say simply.

"I love you more," she says.

When I look at the table, all the women are crying. Even Elliot and Jose are wiping their eyes.

"My turn!" Jose says. He jumps out of his seat and hugs Ana before he tells the entire table the history of their friendship and how Ana was the first person he came out to.

"And, Ana, I won't hold it against you that you went to New York without me. We were supposed to drive cross country next summer before you start your real job, but instead you went off on a private jet to the Big Apple."

"We can still do it, Jose, just like we planned."

I look at the love of my life like she's grown a second head.

"Still do what, baby?"

"Drive cross country with my BFF," she says taking a huge gulp of her drink. She talks casually. Almost as if she's talking about going to the spa.

"Um, not happening."

"Says who?" She asks.

"Says me," Taylor interjects. "I'm your security and I say it's not happening." Everyone laughs, including Ana.

"And Taylor, if you lose this argument and you end up chasing Ana across the country, just leave Gail with me," my grandfather says as he wiggles his eyebrows at Gail, who only laughs at him.

"Oh, please. What would a beautiful young thing like that want with a wrinkly old prune like you?" Adelle says, and everyone laughs, including grandpa.

"We'll take Jose with us next time we go," I say.

"Yes!" Jose says.

The rest of the table takes turns telling Ana stories.

"Let me just say one thing before we eat," Carrick Grey says. He stands at the other end of table, commanding attention. "I first met Ana when I went to GEH to have lunch with my sons," he begins.

"You mean when you dragged me there so you can give us a lecture?" Elliot asks.

"Never mind that, Elliot. Anyway, imagine my surprise when she walks into Christian's office with lunch for him. I knew it wasn't just a delivery when she turned red upon seeing me and Elliot. I felt my son's excitement when she walked through those doors. He almost leapt out of his chair to get to her, and then he introduced her as his girlfriend, I thought I was hearing things. Then they played this little word game, and I knew he had someone special. Ana, you brought light to my son's life, and for that I thank you. You put up with our crazy family, paparazzi, Elliot, and despite that you stick around. Most of all, you love my son. We love you, Ana. Welcome to our family," dad says.

Ana hugs my dad before she hides her face in my chest again. I kiss the top of her head and hold her until her crying ends.

"Hello, everyone," I hear a voice say. As Ana stiffens in my arms, I know I'm not hearing things.

"Grammy," EJ yells. I look up just in time to see him jump off Elliot's lap and into his grandmother's arms.

"It's Ana's berfday. She gots presents and Jackson is here. Come!" He says as he drags her to the table.

"Come sit by me, Gracie. I thought you were working today," Grandma says. I look over Ana's head and catch Carrick's eye. He shakes his head in disbelief.

Grace walks over, takes a seat next to her mother and plants EJ on her lap. She knows I won't have her kicked out of her in front of her mother with the heart condition and in front of the grandson she's so damned ashamed of.

"Mother, can I have a word?" I ask, doing my best to keep the anger out of my voice.

"Later, son. I'm just happy I got here when I did. I got another doctor to split the shift with me. Happy birthday, Ana. Elliot, honey, can you put this over on the gifts table for me?" She asks handing him a huge gift bag. She then spots Jose and Ray.

"My birthday's not until Wednesday, Dr. Trevelyan. I'm sure you already know that," Ana says.

"I'm Grace, Christian's mother," she says, extending a hand to Ray.

"Raymond Steele, Ana's dad. Lovely to meet you. I met your husband at Ana's housewarming, but I think you were working that day too," Ray says warmly. "And this is Ana's best friend, Jose."

Grace offers her hand to Jose, who looks at it for a full five seconds before shaking it.

"Mmmmhmmm," is all he says before turning his face away from her.

"You missed the speeches, Gracie. We were just all telling Ana here how special she is, and how much we've grown to love her in such a short time," grandma says.

"How wonderful. Ana, dear, I've seen such a huge change in Christian since you came into his life. Our Christian never brought anyone home before, so I was shocked when he brought you home for that little barbeque that we had. Seeing you was unexpected, and I admit, I didn't know what to expect, but you've surprised me, Ana. I love my children so much. When you're a mother, you'll understand how much we want only the best for our kids, and sometimes we don't always recognize what that is. I see that you're the best for him, so thank you for loving him."

I roll my eyes towards the heavens and count to ten, so I won't have someone physically remove my mother from my property. If she thinks her little speech will erase a year's worth of mistreatment, she's even more delusional than I thought.

"Grace, can I have a word with you inside?" Carrick says.

"Later, Cary. I've missed my EJ so much," she says as she tickles him.

"Now, Grace!" Carrick walks to where she's sitting and grabs her by the arm. She's no fool, though, because she takes EJ with her. Jackson sees this, and he runs after them before Kate can stop him. Grace offers her free hand to Jackson and he takes it.

"Christian," Ana says to me. "If you kick her out, your grandmother will be upset and so will EJ, then this will become about her. I love this party that you threw for me. Let her stay, I don't care, but she's not going to ruin this for me. I want to eat, and then I want to dance with you. And afterwards, when everyone is gone and it's just you and me, I'm going to blow you so good, you're going to pass out."

"Don't make me kick everyone out right now," I whisper in her ear, nipping it. "If she says one cross word, if she even looks at you wrong, I won't care who gets upset. I'll drag her out by her hair."

"Your dad might do it for you," she says. We look over there to see my dad trying to contain his anger in front of the kids. It doesn't help that Jackson is trying climb on dad, so he can be as high as EJ. Dad scoops up Jackson as he continues to talk to mom, who only nods as she continues to hug and kiss EJ to her.

"Come on, lovebirds! Let's eat," someone yells.

"Come on, baby." Instead of taking a seat next to Ana, I sit in her seat and put her on my lap, not giving a fuck that her father is there.

We are served a decadent dinner. I remember how much Ana enjoyed grilled lobster when we went to my parent's house, so that's the first thing she's served.

I say nothing as Carrick and Grace come back with the boys.

"I'm starving! I'm starting with a steak. Rare. And I want some lobster, too," Carrick announces as he sits down.

"Remember your cholesterol, Cary," Grace admonishes.

"Grace, I'm almost sixty years old. Let me worry about my own god damn cholesterol," he snaps. Grandma's head snaps up as she looks from Carrick to my mother.

"God damn!" EJ yells. Jackson starts to giggle.

"Good damn!" He says. We all laugh at the way he says it.

"Elliot, your son is much more skilled with expletives," I say dryly.

"That's my boy!"

We all eat in silence for a while.

"Ana, this is such a wonderful party. And you look beautiful, dear," Grace says.

"Thank you, Dr. Trevelyan," Ana says politely.

"What's with all this Dr. Trevelyan nonsense? Gracie, why is Ana calling you that?" Grandma asks, finally realizing the tension between Grace and several people at the table.

"I admit that Ana and I didn't exactly start out on the right foot. All my fault. I'm just a mother who was being protective of her son."

I drop my fork loudly on my plate, but before I can respond, Ray beats me to it.

"What exactly does starting out on the wrong foot mean, Dr. Trevelyan? What did you say to my daughter?"

"Just a little misunderstanding between women, Ray. Nothing serious. And, please call me Grace," she downplays.

"What kind of misunderstanding?"

"Dad, now's not the time. Please, stop," Ana says.

"Enough, Grace!" Carrick snaps.

"What the hell is going on in this family?" Grandma asks. "You think I haven't noticed that neither Ana nor Christian has anything to say to Grace. Carrick hardly looked at her at my house last weekend, and it's the same thing here. And, Grace, what the hell did you say to Ana to start things off on the wrong foot? Did you know about this, Theo?" She asks, turning to my grandfather who only fidgets under her angry glare. "I don't need you all to treat me like I'm made of glass."

"Calm down, Adelle. We just didn't want to upset you."

"Yes, mother. Calm down."

"I still don't know what the hell was said to my daughter, Dr. Trevelyan?" Ray says.

"Nothing, Ray. She just misunderstood when I said-,"

"I didn't misunderstand anything, Dr. Trevelyan. You accused me of having some sort of fake relationship with your son for money. There was nothing to misunderstand. Your words were very clear."

"Oh, shit. Go, Ana!" Jose says as he takes another sip of whatever the fuck he's drinking.

"You said what, Grace? What the hell is wrong with you?" Adelle says.

Ray stands up so abruptly that his chair gets knocked over.

"You said what to my daughter? Let me tell you something, you uppity-,"

"Enough!" I yell out. "This is not the time or the place. This is Ana's party, not some dysfunctional family happy hour! Mother, why are you here at all? You were neither invited nor wanted at this gathering."

She recoils as if I physically struck her, her eyes filling with unshed tears. The rest of the table sit there in stoned silence.

"I'm here to try and make amends, Christian," she whispers.

Those words cause a fire to rage inside of me.

"Amends, mother? By crashing this party and making it about you? I only let you stay because I didn't want to upset grandma and the kids, but you showed no regard for anyone else except yourself as usual. We're here to celebrate Ana's birthday and to show her what she means to us. You weren't invited because you made your feelings about her clear from the beginning, but make no mistake, Grace. My issues with you aren't just about your treatment of Ana. Since you insist on making a scene, my issues are with the way you've treated me and Elliot."

Before I can say anymore, Taylor and Gail stand up.

"EJ, Jackson, let's go inside and swim in the pool," Taylor suggests. Both boys jump out of their seats, and each grab on to one of Taylor's legs. Gail follows behind them.

"Christian, maybe now's not the time," Carrick says, suddenly looking exhausted.

"You want to come over here and act like all you need to do is make a simple apology? You want to hold your grandson? The same one you've been throwing in your son's face for the past year and a half? Give me a damn break. All the shame you claim that Elliot brought on the Grey name over his illegitimate son, but you want to play doting grandmother? You don't get to have it both ways. And when my life implodes and I need my family the most, you shun me. You act as if I kidnapped those women and chained them in my basement. It was all consensual, for god's sakes. I'm not going to go over all of the ways you've treated me like shit over the past year, but I finally gave you what you've always wanted. You no longer have to be ashamed of me because I no longer want you in my life. I've told you that twice now, but here you are making a damn spectacle of yourself. Is this what you wanted to accomplish by coming here today? You wanted to ruin this party?"

"No," she says, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Listen, talking to the therapist, I realized I made some horrible mistakes. Christian, I blamed myself. I still do because I let you down. Instead of getting you help with your touch issues as a boy, I took the wait and see approach. I realized I made a huge mistake when you were a teen and young adult and still couldn't be touched, but by then it was too late because none of the treatment we forced on you worked. I had no idea how you were dealing with the touch issues, and when all of this came out, it cast a light on all my failures as a parent. Elliot, I thought I went wrong with you, too. I felt like I failed you somehow, and you were never going to be able to stay with one woman. I was horrible to both of you, and I just want a chance to make it up to you. Ruining this party is the last thing I wanted. I came here with good intentions, but both you and Elliot have shut me out. Your father is living here with Christian, and I didn't know what else to do."

"So, this is our fault, mom?" Elliot finally speaks up. "Don't put this on me and Christian. Since EJ came into my life, I've done nothing but try to be a good parent to him, but you don't see that. All you can focus on is how he came to be. He wasn't planned, but he was never unwanted by me. Maybe you should focus on the things I do right instead of old shit. I love my son and I'm not going to let him be around your negativity anymore. If you were anyone else, I would have told you to hit the road a long time ago. You think I don't know you were using my son today?"

"You're right, Elliot. I should have told you that I'm proud of you for stepping up and being a great father and role model. That's what I should have focused on, nothing else. And Christian, I admit I was wrong about your relationship with Ana. I thought you just found a creative way to be with those types of women, but when I saw her touch you-" she's stopped by Carrick slamming his hand on the table.

"Grace, just shut the hell up! Christian is an adult, and whatever relationship he's in is his business. Stop pointing the finger at everyone else and look within! Maybe you need a different shrink because this one ain't working."

"Lady, if you ever say my daughter's name again, you'll regret it," Ray says, pointing at Grace.

"Don't you threaten my wife, Ray," Carrick says.

"Maybe you should get your wife under control. Sounds like your uppity wife gets off on looking her down at everyone else. Annie, let's get out of here. You've been through enough in your short life. You don't need this shit show," Ray says walking towards Ana.

"Oh, please. She's not going anywhere, Ray. You can sit, or you can leave, but Ana's staying," I say to him.

"My daughter doesn't need this level of bullshit. Come on, Annie," he reaches for Ana, but I shove his hand away.

"Everyone, just shut up!" Ana yells, jumping out of her seat, and standing between me and her father. "Ray, I can speak for myself. I'm an adult, and I don't need my father making decisions for me. I'm not leaving. Christian, calm down," she says, putting a hand on my chest, calming me instantly. "Dr. Trevelyan," Ana begins.

"Ana, please. Let me apologize." Ana just raises her hand so silence Grace.

"Dr. Trevelyan, save your apology. You said some awful things, but the reality is that you just don't have the power to hurt me. You should put all your energy into fixing your relationship with your sons.

"But, Ana-"

"Let me be clear, I love your son, and I love everyone else in your family, so I will be cordial. I will be polite. I'll never get in the way of you making amends with Christian, but that's all I can give you right now."

"Oh, my God! Why are you guys such assholes? Our mother is trying to make things right and all you three can do is make her feel worse than she already does? You accuse her of being judgmental but look at you two. And you too, dad. You walk out on your wife because she made one mistake? Mom, you don't have to sit here and take this. I'll take you home," Mia says as she walks over to our now openly weeping mother.

"Good. Both of you can get the fuck out," I say.

"Christian!" Someone says. I'm not sure who.

"Go, on, Mia. The rest of us will be here the minute you make a mistake and she turns her back on you. Or maybe she won't do that to you since you two are so much alike. Didn't you turn your back on Elliot because he did something you didn't like?"

"Sorry we're not all so perfect like you, Christian," Mia says.

"Not perfect, sis, but definitely loyal. That's the difference," I say to her.

"Too bad none of that loyalty you're so full of can be applied to our mother," she throws back at me.

"Oh, Mia, please. Have you been paying attention? We're not the problem here," Elliot says as he throws up his hands in exasperation. "Ask yourself, did mom really need to come here today and cause this scene?"

"Well if you guys talked to her, maybe she wouldn't need to resort to this. You two shut her out. Dad walks out on her, but Christian here is spewing about loyalty when he's done nothing but ignore her. I've sat there and watched her call and text all three of you, only to be ignored. And you blame our mother when she has to resort to drastic measures. You can all use a good look in the mirror. I'm ashamed of all three of you."

"Gracie, ever since you were a little girl you were obsessed with everything being perfect. How many times did I tell you that perfection doesn't exist. This beautiful family that you have is as close to perfection as one can get. Don't be the one to rip it apart. Fix it, honey," my grandmother says.

"How can she when they won't listen to her? Come on, mom." Grace is still sobbing as Mia grabs her arm to help her stand up. Together, they walk away.

"Their family is just as messed up as ours, Ana!" A very drunk and loud Jose announces.

 **A/N: What started out as a nice birthday party turned into a total shit show. Poor Ana didn't even get to open her presents. I hope you enjoyed chapter 21. Thank you for reading and reviewing.**


	23. Chapter 23

CHAPTER 22

ALL CREDIT TO ELJ. I OWN NOTHING

ANA

"Twenty three, twenty four," I finally moan out as I receive the last stinging slap to my bare ass.

"Get on the bed and get on your back," I'm told. I jump from my position across his knees and climb on the huge bed in record time. I position myself and spread my legs as wide as I can.

I new wave of desire takes over me as I follow him with my eyes. His eyes are looking right at my spread and bare pussy, and I don't know if he's aware, but he just licked his lips as he growled.

Instead of climbing on top of me and sliding that hard cock inside of me, he sticks his head between my legs instead and gives me one languid lick.

"So delicious, baby," he whispers as he gives my inner thigh a kiss. I wait to feel his mouth on me again, but he surprises me by taking one of my legs and throwing it over his shoulder before he slides inside of me.

"Yes!" I scream out as he fills me completely. "You feel so incredible."

And it's true. I always expected or hoped sex would be good, but this is so beyond good. It's beyond incredible, but I'm too lost in euphoria to think of another word right now.

I grab his tight ass and shift my body around so he can go even deeper inside of me. Our bodies are slick with sweat as he thrusts deeply inside of me. He grabs one breast and squeezes it as he laves my other nipple with his tongue.

I throw my head back and moan. I've come to realize over the past few months, and so has Christian, that that one particular nipple highly sensitive. He drops his hand from my other breast and sticks in between us as he starts to rub my clit with his thumb.

With his dick deep inside of me, his thumb rubbing my clit and his mouth on my nipple, I lose it and crash. I yell out his name as I start to spasm and shake uncontrollably underneath him.

He surprises me by climbing off me and laying on his back next to me. With his dick still erect, he motions for me to get on top.

This is another gift he's giving me on my birthday. He has never let me get on top before. I've tried, and each time, he's taken control and either spanked for trying to top from the bottom, as he calls it, or would pin me down and fuck me into oblivion.

I quickly get up from my position and slide down on his dick. This is a much deeper penetration and I throw my head back at the feel of him. I start to ride him, but my motions are awkward at best. He grabs my hips and starts to guide my movements. I lay both hands down on his chest for balance as I find my rhythm.

He slaps my ass, causing my clit to jingle, and I let out a loud moan. I hold on to him as I start to move my hips around, riding him with everything in me. Soon, I'm calling out his name as I climax again.

He gives me one final hard thrust before he comes deep inside of me.

"Oh, fuck, Ana," he exclaims as he comes undone underneath me. I lay on top of him as both try to catch our breath.

I grab his face and bring my lips to his.

"I love you, Christian Grey," I whisper. He smiles before he kisses me again.

"Right back at you, baby," he as I roll off him. He pulls me to him and spoons me from behind.

"That was incredible," I say as he kisses my shoulder.

"Indeed."

* * *

"Best birthday ever," I say an hour later as we lay in bed completely naked, except for the diamond earrings and necklace Christian gave me for my birthday, drinking expensive champagne and eating cheesecake we brought home from dinner earlier.

"Despite Sunday's party. The worst party in the history of the world, by the way," he says jokingly. What a mess that turned out to be. Christian was so upset and spent the rest of Sunday apologizing for losing his shit and causing a scene.

We kept the party going after his mother left, but it was marked by awkwardness. Christian had hired several masseuses to give massages to anyone who wanted one. Kate, Shana, Jose, me and even Elliot enjoyed it, but there was just a dark spell hanging over everything once Grace and Mia made their exit.

After we came back from getting the massages inside the house, Christian, Carrick and my dad were out there having yet another fight, while the rest of the guests looked on in disbelief.

 _Ana's party_

 _I marched over to them with my hands on my hips._

" _What the hell? Didn't we have enough of this crap when your mother crashed the party, Christian? Can we please just stop!" I yell out in frustration._

 _To his credit, Christian pulled me to him and kissed the top of my head and threw both hands up in surrender._

" _I'm sorry, baby. Enough, dad. Just drop it. There's enough blame to go around. We've all succeeded in ruining this party."_

" _Well, my daughter was outnumbered and I was defending her. Bullshit your wife was being protective of her son. What is she going to protect him from? My daughter is five foot two and weights one hundred and ten pounds soaking wet. Your son, on the other hand, has been around. He's not exactly inexperienced. If anyone needs protecting, it's Ana from him, but unlike your wife, I treat my daughter like the adult she is," Ray says. This is just like him. He can never let an argument go, and neither could Carla. This is like a flashback from my childhood. If Ray has his way, this will turn into another huge argument, and I've had enough._

" _Enough, dad! You're being rude. And how would you feel if I brought up your past? You're not exactly a saint either. And what difference does it make what Christian did before we met? None. He went through all this trouble and you're starting another fight with him and his father. Cut it out or leave!" I don't wait for him to respond, I walk over to Jose, who was standing there giving Ray the evil eye._

The fight between the guys was over immediately, and they all came over and apologized, but by then everyone had had enough and left.

Christian spent the rest of the night apologizing, but I told him he didn't need to apologize, and that I loved the party despite all the fighting.

"This is how we're going to celebrate from now on. Just you and me. No more parties for my mother to ruin," he says.

"Bite your tongue. I loved my party, and no one, not even Grace Grey, is going to put me off parties. You just wait and see what I do for your birthday, Mr. Grey. You just wait," I say with a wink as I take another bite of the decadent strawberry cheesecake.

"Really?"

"Really. I want more parties and more days like today. This has been one of the best days of my life all because I got to spend it with you."

The day started with an amazing orgasm when I woke up with Christian's head between my legs, followed by breakfast in bed.

There were two bouquets of a dozen pink roses in the bedroom, one rose for each year I've been alive, he tells me. It was a lie. When we arrived down stairs, there were bouquets of pink roses everywhere.

"Did I say one rose for every year you've been alive? I meant one bouquet per year. Sorry, baby. You distracted me upstairs," he says with a wink, making me blush because I know Gail heard him judging by her laugh.

When I commented on his casual attire on a Wednesday, jeans and a polo, he surprised me by announcing he was taking the day off and escorting me to campus.

"Oh my god! You got yourself a new Bentley?" I ask when we step outside and see a new Bentley with a bow on the windshield.

"Now, why would I put a bow on a Bentley that I bought for myself?" He asks as he opens up the driver's door. Instead of getting in, which would have been out of character since he always holds open the door for me.

"I don't know. Did Carrick get it for you or something?" I ask totally confused.

"Are you going to stand there and ask twenty questions or are you going to drive me in your new car?" He asks casually as he points towards the steering wheel.

"What?" I ask, totally confused.

"Get in the car, baby."

I stand there speechless and just look at him, unable to process his words. Instead of walking towards he car, I look from Christian to the car, and to the front door as if it would give me the answers I seek.

"Um," I start to stammer. He walks towards me, grabs my hand and leads me to the car.

"Happy birthday, baby," he says giving me a kiss on the lips.

"What?"

"Jesus, woman! You're usually much sharper than this. This is your birthday present. Get in."

"This is mine?"

"Yes."

I shake my head at him, still confused.

"What?" I ask again.

"Happy birthday, Ana," he says slowly, motioning towards the car.

"You can't buy your girlfriend a Bentley. Who does that?"

"My son does." I turn around and see Carrick standing there, admiring the car. "Do you like it? I helped him pick it out."

"What?" I ask again. "I, uh."

"She's having some difficulty processing, dad. Let's give her a minute for it to sink it," Christian says.

"I'll take it if she doesn't want it," I hear Carrick say. He and Christian start a discussion, but I tune them out and just stare at the car. I know nothing about cars, but I know Bentleys cost a lot of money. I make a note to ask Jose as I run my fingers along the silver luxury car.

"I don't understand," I say as I turn back to Christian.

He sighs.

"This is for you. I got it for you for your birthday," he says slowly.

"But you threw me a party, and got me these diamond earrings," I say pointing at the huge diamond studs in my ear. "And the matching necklace. And the weekend away to Napa next weekend, not to mention all the other presents in your closet that I have yet to open. Not to mention, you paid my college tuition and-," he stops me before I could go any further.

"And this is the first birthday that I'm spending with the woman I'm madly in love with. And I know you like my Bentley. And the party and other presents are nothing. And I can buy you whatever the fuck I want. And get in the damn car. And please, baby, don't say what again."

I look at him for a moment before the words finally sink in. He smiles and points to the steering wheel again.

"You're going to be late for class if you don't hurry up. Don't you have a test today?" I snap out of it finally and let out a loud shriek.

"This is mine? And you helped him pick it out, Cary baby?" I ask, calling Carrick by the nickname that Jose has given him. He simply nods. I yell again and give him a kiss on the cheek before I plant my lips on Christian's. I devour him with my mouth until Carrick clears his throat. I shove Christian out of the way and climb into the driver's seat.

"Okay, kids," Carrick says. "I'll be late, so don't wait up. I'm going to therapy with your mother, and then we're going out to dinner to talk."

Christian simply waves his father off as I start to drive us to campus.

"When I die, I want to be buried in this car," I say as I park, and we climb out of the car. "So, this is really mine? Jose is going to lose his mind when he finds out."

"It's yours, baby. It's just us today, but Prescott will ride shot gun whenever you drive it, and Ryan will follow you guys, okay?" I nod. So, this is why he told me he was taking Taylor back and taking Ryan and Prescott off suspension since the events at Eli's.

I kiss him again. It's not a chaste kiss by any means as I wrap my arms around him and open my mouth to him fully.

"Thank you, Christian. I love the car, but I only need you. I don't need all of this," I say to him.

"I know you don't, baby, and I love that about you, but I love spoiling you. Get to class before you're late. I have a meeting with the agriculture department, so I'll meet you after you last class and take you to lunch. You're mine for the rest of the day." We kiss in the middle of the parking lot before he takes my hand and walks me to class, where he kisses me again before going to his meeting.

Both of my classes today are back to back and in the same building. I take my test and when I come out of my final class, Christian is waiting for me at the door. He puts his arm around my shoulder and we walk out together while everyone stares and whispers about us. He makes no mention of all the phones taking videos of us, so I ignore it too.

When we step out of the building, the quad is filled with people. When they notice us, everyone starts to clap and start to sing happy birthday to me. I turn bright red, but Christian doesn't react. We just quietly walk to my new car with our arms around each other. It's not until hours later, when Jose texts me, that I realize why everyone knew it was my birthday.

My crazy boyfriend had lunch catered for everyone on campus in honor of my birthday. A lunch we didn't even attend because he took me to a fancy restaurant downtown, where we sampled everything on the menu.

Afterwards, we went back to his place and I opened presents from Sunday. Presents that included spa treatments, donations to my name to the Seattle Public Schools, clothes, shoes, dinners at the best restaurants in Seattle, a trip to Hawaii for two from Carrick, a gift card for a makeover from Mia, a day trip to from Seattle to Victoria, British Columbia from Elliot, and countless other things from his family. The only gift I didn't open was the one from Grace.

After gifts, we made love in his closet before going out to a romantic dinner at Canlis. We had a private room, and I was so turned on by watching my man eat, that I had to excuse myself and run to the ladies' room, where I took off my tiny thong panties.

When I came back, I threw my panties on his plate. He picked them up without saying a word, put them in his pocket and continued to eat his prime rib.

He put his hand on my knee and continued to inch his hand up my thigh, until he reached my bare pussy.

"You've earned yourself a birthday spanking tonight," he says without even looking at me. He finally opens my fold and runs his thumb along my clit, causing me to moan and call out his name right in the middle of the private room he got for our dinner. He shows no mercy as he strokes my clit and fingers my pussy, quickly bringing me to orgasm right at Canlis.

My face was flushed as our waiter came in to check on us. As soon as he left, I placed my hand on Christian's hard cock. I figured we had a few minutes before the waiter came back. I quickly unzipped his pants, and when his dick sprang to life, I put it in my mouth and gave him the blow job of his life.

It wasn't long until he came in my mouth. I quickly swallowed and zipped him back up just as the waiter came back with more champagne.

"Filthy," he muttered to me and I blew him a kiss before going back to my meal.

"You know, Christian," I say to him as I give him a bite of my cheesecake. "I've always known, maybe deep, deep, deep down that Ray and Carla loved me. What I wasn't ever sure of was that they always wanted me, but you show me every day how much you want me, and that's something I've never had before. I don't know what I ever did to deserve you in my life, but you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. And I don't mean all of these presents you got me. I just mean you. You just made this birthday so special, and I know that even if you had a budget of twenty dollars, I would still feel like the most special girl on earth. It's not even about the presents. The best gift you gave me today was your time," I say as I pucker up for a kiss. Instead of kissing me, he chastises me.

"Well, I always knew it would be like this. You're the one who was stubborn and turned me down," he says as he takes a huge bite of his chocolate cheesecake.

"Oh, puhleeze, Christian Grey. I turned you down for about 2 minutes before I gave in and let you pop my cherry."

"Well, those were two wasted minutes. I could have popped that cherry that much sooner, but I guess I can forgive you," he says as I roll my eyes at him. He finally leaned in and kisses me.

"What did you do for your birthday this year?" I ask him.

"Well, Grace hosted an awkward dinner, where she drank martini after martini and refused to even look at me. But, the good news is, she went after Elliot and his baby mama drama instead of me, so I guess I should be grateful. You know, I almost asked you out that Friday. I wanted you to come with me, but I chickened out. I figured you would run screaming if I subjected you to my dysfunctional family. Gail's shower was only two weeks after that, so I bided my time," he says with a wink. I let out a laugh that turned into a snort. I turn red with embarrassment, which causes Christian to laugh at me.

"The sad thing is, baby, it wasn't always this way. This year, with the exception of you, has been a total nightmare. I always had a great relationship with my family, even my mother. I had a great childhood when they adopted me. This Grace is not the mother I grew up with. She was always kind, patient and loving. I don't know what happened to her, but I guess it's easy to be those things when things are great or appear great. She just completely lost it when things about me came to light, and of course she couldn't hide EJ. I wish you knew the mother I grew up with because this isn't her. Truth is, I miss the mother she once was, but that Grace Grey has left the building. Enough about that. We're not revisiting any of this shit anymore. We're moving forward," he says sadly.

"I'm sorry, baby," is all I can manage to say. "I know what it's like to miss your mom. Even when Carla was alive, I missed out on having a mom." I feel my eyes start to fill with tears, but I refuse to let them fall. Instead, I change the subject. "But you know who I'm going to miss? You. Why do you have to leave me tomorrow?" I pout.

"I'll just be gone one night," he says about his business trip to LA. He wanted me to join him for the weekend, but I told him I told Jose I'd cover for him on Friday since I have no classes and Jose wants to spend the day with Floyd.

"I know. I'll just miss you, that's all. And yes, I'll stay here since you already invited Jose."

"Good. I just feel better with you here while I'm gone." He leans in and kisses my forehead.

I put some of the whipped cream from my dessert on my index finger and swipe it across the tip of his cock.

"Ooops," I say innocently as I bat my eyelashes at him. "Let me clean that up." I put my dessert on the end table before scooting down and putting his entire dick in my mouth.

"Oh, shit. You filthy, filthy girl," he says hoarsely as I pleasure him with my mouth.

* * *

I wake up to a cold, empty bed and sigh in disappointment. My man is gone, and I have classes to go to today. We were up really late last night, so I overslept a bit this morning. I send a text to Christian telling him that I miss and love him before I take a quick shower.

As I search for an outfit in the closet, my eyes fall on the one gift I have yet to open. The gift from Grace Grey. I grab it from one of the shelves. It's a bit heavy, and that piques my curiosity enough for me to open the bag.

I let out a laugh when I see what's inside. She gave me five Carolina Herrera scarves. Two of them will match perfectly with the 2 Herrera dresses that she has seen me wear. The other three are more neutral but absolutely beautiful. Say whatever you will about Grace Grey, but the woman has flawless taste. She's always dressed perfectly, without a hair out of place. She's never flashy but always perfectly put together.

I don't know if she's being snarky, or if she really thinks I'm a big fan of Carolina Herrera. Well, the joke's on Grace Grey because before meeting her son, I'd never heard of this designer. In fact, Xhilaration by Target has always been my go to designer.

The scarves aren't the only gifts. Underneath the scarves is what looks like a photo album. I roll my eyes. I bet they're pictures of her perfect family, and their perfect European vacations that my carpenter father could never afford. Despite my distaste at that thought, I open the album.

A folded piece of paper falls out of it, and I pick it up and open it.

 **Ana,**

 **All I can say is that I got it all wrong about you and Christian. I hope that over time, you and I can get to know each other better. Please accept this gift as a token of my appreciation, and just a small part of the big apology that I owe you. I plan on having lunch with my mother this Thursday at 1:00 at the Metropolitan Grill. Please join us.**

 **Grace**

I sigh, fold the note and put it back in the bag. I open the photo album, expecting to see various pictures of the Grey family on their expensive vacations, but instead I get nothing but pictures of Christian. I think this is a timeline from when he was adopted by the Greys. There are only two pictures of him as a baby, the rest are from the time he was about four and beyond.

I smile at the pictures of him as a skinny kid with the crazy red hair. He has an untamable cowlick until he was about ten, then his hair is given a proper cut.

He's handsome throughout all of the pictures, but the braces he has for most of his teen years make him stand out. He's happy in the pictures of him as a kid, but when I get to his teen years, he looks distant and troubled. His smile looks forced.

My favorite pictures aren't the professional ones, but the candid family photos taken around the Grey table. There are several from Christmases past of him smiling wide as he opens presents. There are some of him and Elliot laughing each other. There's one of the three siblings with Mia on Elliot's back as they all smile wide.

He looks so happy and content that tears fill my eyes. As much as I know him now, I've never had a glimpse of him as a child and young adult. My phone vibrates, bringing me out of my revelry. It's a text from Christian telling me he loves me too and that he'll call me later.

"Fuck!" I say as I note the time. I put the album away and quickly put on some clothes so I can get to class.

* * *

"Get the fuck out of here, Anastasia Rose Grey!" Jose yells.

"Steele," I remind him.

"Not for long, bitch! You mean this man got you a two hundred thousand dollar car? The party, trip to Napa, clothes and diamonds weren't enough? And you wait until today to show this to me? That's cold, Ana," he says as he opens the door to look inside.

Prescott and Ryan just stand in my driveway unsure what to make of Jose.

"Oh my god. This new car smell is to die for. I could just die right here, Ana. Get in. I'm driving," he says.

"Like hell you are. You can sit in the back. Prescott's riding shot gun."

"Fine, but you're letting me drive this later. We won't leave G-Money's neighborhood, but if I die tomorrow, I want you to put in my obituary that I drove a Bentley."

* * *

"So, Mrs. Grey," Jose says as he sits across from me in Christian's closet with one of my scarves around his neck and the photo album on his lap. "What are you going to do?"

"It's Ms. Steele! Stop calling me that. I'm not ready for all of that. And I didn't do anything. Obviously, I didn't go to the lunch since it was today."

"You're not ready? Girl, you better get your shit together and get ready. And don't you dare mess this up for us or else!" He threatens me. "But I told you she'd come crawling."

"I don't care about that. Honestly, I could have forgiven everything. I could have gotten over her misconception of our relationship and her digs. I could have even forgiven the background check she did on me but saying that shit to me about Carla was just too much. Talking to Simon makes me question her intelligence. I don't even want to talk about it anymore."

"I understand, girl. She didn't do that shit to protect her son. She did it try and sabotage you guys, but you know that eventually she's going to figure out a way to get him to hear her out, right?"

"And that's fine. That would be great because I want him to work things out with his mother, but that doesn't have anything to do with me." He sighs and shakes his head at me.

"In theory, you're right, but I think that if things with between him and mommy dearest are ever-," my phone starts to ring, and I cut Jose off when I realize it's Christian calling me on FaceTime.

"Hi, baby," he says. "I miss you."

"I miss you too, sweetheart," Jose says as he grabs the phone from me.

"Are you two in the closet? Jose, get out of my closet so I can talk to Ana in peace." Jose sticks his tongue out at Christian before handing me the phone.

"Just so you know, I've already come out of the closet, thank you very much," Jose says as he walks out of the closet and leaves the bedroom.

* * *

One Week Later

After eating a quick lunch between classes, I'm hauling ass across campus to make it to my second and final class of the day on time. With Prescott beside me, we're practically sprinting across the quad when my phone starts to vibrate in my pocket.

"Hey, baby," I say to Christian. "I just running to class. Don't worry, I packed my stuff this morning before I left so I won't need to go back to your place after class, but don't forget I have a meeting with my advisor right after this class. I'll meet you in your office right after. That should give us enough time to get the airport by five," I ramble as I walk briskly to class. We're flying to Napa tonight for an extended weekend, which just happens to be the weekend of Grace's award.

Christian and I are going to Napa and Elliot is going to Disneyland with Kate and the kids. Carrick, who has been attending therapy with Grace has decided to go, along with Mia, and Grace's parents. There's been no pressure from Carrick or anyone else for Elliot and Christian to attend.

"Ana," he says, and I immediately stop walking when I hear the tone of his voice. I know immediately that something's wrong. I know that tone. That's the tone Ray and Carla gave me when they finally told me they were getting a divorce. That's the tone Ray gave me when he called to tell me that Carla had been in a horrible accident.

"What is it?" I ask, panicked.

"It's my grandmother. She's had another heart attack and is at Northwest Hospital."

"Oh my god!" I say as I sit on a nearby bench. "Is she going to be okay?"

"I don't know. I'm headed there now. Maybe you can meet me there after you meet with your advisor."

"Really, Christian. Fuck my advisor. I'll meet you there in twenty minutes."

"Thank you, baby," he says sounding relieved.

"I love you. See you soon."

 **A/N: So, less drama this time. Hopefully Grace will behave in the hospital. Thank you for reading and reviewing. Until Laters!**


	24. Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

ALL CREDIT TO ELJ

CHRISTIAN

I practically sprint through the emergency room with Taylor following behind me until I make my way to the private waiting room, only to find my grandfather and mother.

I watch for a few seconds as they hold on to each other for solace.

"What's going on?" I ask, stepping inside the room. "How's grandma?"

Grandfather steps away from Grace and walks towards me. My eye catches hers for a minute, and I take note of the redness and puffiness of her eyes. The tip of her nose is also red, and my usually well put together mother is in jeans and a plain button down shirt. She runs a hand through her disheveled hair as she wipes her nose with a tissue.

She waits for me to speak to her, but I break our stare and turn towards her father instead.

"Thanks for coming, son. Your grandmother woke up not feeling well this morning. We just thought she was coming down with a cold, so we didn't pay much attention to it. She had just had an appointment with her doctor last Friday and they said she was doing well. We were just taking a slow walk through the neighborhood when she clutched her chest and fell to the ground. Luckily Mia showed me how to use this damn cell phone and I had it on me, so I called 911, and here we are."

"Was she breathing when you got here?"

"She was, but she was as pale as a ghost."

"Has the doctor been out yet?" I ask.

"Not yet, Christian," this coming from my mother. I only acknowledge her comment by nodding my head.

Mia bursts through the door next and goes straight into my mother's arms. My grandfather walks away from me and starts to console the two of them. I lean against the wall and watch them interact.

Mia starts to cry, which causes Grace to start crying.

"Will you two cut it out. Adelle ain't dead yet! Your mother is strong, Grace. She'll be fine," grandfather snaps at them. They both stand there shocked because I don't think I've ever heard Theo Trevelyan snap at anybody in my entire life as a Grey.

He's always gregarious, and kind to a fault. From the outside, it seems like Theo and Adelle are always sniping at each other, but they haven't been apart since they were seventeen years old. If something happens to her, I don't know that he would survive for very long without her.

Grace and Mia quiet down immediately, and they stand there wringing their hands as grandfather goes and stands in front of the window overlooking the parking garage.

I grab my phone but don't see any messages from Ana. I look at the door willing her to walk through it. Hell, at this point, I'll settle at seeing Elliot or dad walk through the door.

I don't have to wait long for dad because he soon bursts through the doors and walks straight to my mother. He opens his arms and she flies into them and starts to cry all over again. I don't know if these tears are for grandmother or if she's just happy to be in dad's arms again.

I watch as he hugs her to him and kisses the top of her head, a scene I've seen a million times throughout my life with them. Dad's always been the rock of the family, holding everyone and everything together in a crisis. That's just who he is, so it didn't surprise me that when Grace emotionally abandoned me and Elliot that dad would try to put us all back together again.

"Hey, Christian." I look away from my parents to find Mia standing in front of me. We haven't spoken since Ana's party. In fact, I'm surprised it took her this long to reach out to me since I cut off her credit card the morning following that disastrous party.

"Mia," I say and pull my phone out again, effectively dismissing her from my sight.

"Can I talk to you outside this room for a second?"

"No, you can't," is all I say to her.

"Look, Christian, I just want to say-" I completely tune her out the minute the door opens and Ana, Ryan and Prescott walk in. She comes to me and I envelope her in my arms, kissing her face over and over again.

"I'm so glad you're here, baby," I say to her as I pull her across the room, away from Mia, and sit her down next to me. I pull her close as I kiss her temple and inhale the fruity scent of her shampoo.

"Where else would I be, huh?" She asks as if her being here with me is a foregone conclusion.

"Ana, darling," my grandfather says from across the room. "So glad you're here." It's completely unlike him not walk over to her, kiss her hand and start flirting. This alone tells me how worried he is over my grandmother.

"Of course. I know she'll be okay, Theo," Ana says.

"I know it too, darling. Adelle will be happy to know that you're here when she wakes up. She thinks the world of you, you know."

"And I think the world of her. She's a wonderful woman, and strong. She'll be back giving you trouble in no time."

"She sure will. Thank you for saying that," he says as he goes back to looking out the window.

"What happened?" Ana mouths to me. I lean in and whisper what I've been told. She reaches over and grabs on to my hand for support, and all is right with my world in that moment, from that one touch.

We sit there for several minutes in silence until dad comes over and takes a seat across from us, followed by Grace. My body stiffens at her presence, and a part of me feels guilt for not putting aside our differences just for today and offering her comfort.

"I'm glad you two are here. The family needs you right now," my dad says.

"Yes, your grandmother loves you so much, Christian. And thank you for being here, Ana. My mom really likes you." The first nice thing my mother has said to my girlfriend and it makes me so fucking angry. How dare she try to use my grandmother's health to try and play nice now. Where was these niceties when I first brought Ana home? They sure as hell weren't around when she cornered her and insulted her, but for the sake of my grandfather, I bite my tongue.

"Thank you, Dr. Trevelyan. I really like her too," Ana says politely.

We're saved from anymore polite conversation when Elliot walks through the door with EJ in his arms.

"What the fuck happened?" He asks, looking to my mother for an answer.

"Grammy!" EJ says as he kicks his legs in an effort to get off his father. Elliot puts him down and he makes a beeline to Grace, who grabs him and holds on to him for dear life.

"Oh, my boy!" She says, eyes filling with tears as she kisses his face over and over again. EJ makes a face and wipes away her kisses, which causes her to laugh.

"Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?" He asks again. Grandfather doesn't even bother to turn around, but Mia comes over and restates what we all know. He takes a breath and takes a seat and waits with the rest of us.

"I was on my way to get Kate and Jackson and head to the airport when Mia called me." He puts his face in his hands and takes another long, exaggerated breath. "I wish the damn doctor would come in here and tell us something. Can you try and find something out, mom?"

"I already tried, honey. She's with one of the best cardiologists in the state. Dr. Warren will let us know something soon," she says soothingly. She even reaches out and pats Elliot's knee.

In my impatience, I loosen my tie, stand up and start to pace. Everyone is quiet with the exception of EJ, who is playing a game with Grace.

Kate soon arrives with Jackson. She manages to distract the boys by putting down coloring books and crayons for them at one of the tables in the waiting room before she sits down next to Elliot, who casually puts an arm around her.

I simply continue to pace. I'm so wound up, I'm ready to track down this Dr. Warren and demand an update, but instead, Ana interrupts my pacing by grabbing my hand. I stop mid step and just watch her. She takes off my suit jacket and points to the chair that I was sitting in.

She stands behind him and puts both hands on my shoulders and starts to give me a slow massage. I take a deep breath and just relax into her hands. She kneads my shoulders and upper back, making me relax instantly. I close my eyes and just let her work her magic on me, helping me release all of the tension in my body.

"Thanks, baby," I say with my eyes still closed. "Don't stop." And she doesn't. She continues the massage until we hear a loud sob. I open my eyes and almost roll them as my mother stares at us with tears streaming down her face.

"Oh, Ana," my mother begins, but I shut her down.

"Not now, mother," I say through clenched teeth. Before she can respond, dad steps in and takes her to the other side of the room, where we all hear her open weeping.

"I can wait outside," Ana says. "I don't want to make anyone upset by me being here."

"What? You're not going anywhere," I say.

"Sit down, Ana. No one is leaving," my dad says.

"Ana, sit down. You're part of this family and you're not going anywhere. Some people in this family will just have to get over their issues," my grandfather said. For the first time in a long time, he turns around and gives my mother a pointed look.

"Please stay, dear. My son needs you. You're not upsetting me. In fact, quite the opposite." This from Grace. I tap Ana's hand, motioning for her to continue the massage.

More people arrive, including Gail, who takes a seat next to Taylor, my cousin Shana, her husband, parents and brothers. It's a packed house until the fucking doctor finally arrives.

He searches the room until he finds my grandfather. He walks over to him and we all follow.

"Mr. Trevelyan, your wife suffered a partial blockage to one of her arteries. She's going to be fine, but I recommend that we do an angioplasty right away," he begins. He says much more, but I feel a huge sense of relief the moment I hear that she's going to be okay.

Dr. Warren spends about half an hour with us, answering questions about risks and survival rates, all of which are good.

"It's a fairly common procedure, dad. I think you should sign the consent forms so she can do this." Everyone else agrees, including my uncle Bruce and his kids. Grandfather nods and signs the paperwork, and we all go back to waiting.

* * *

"Hey, Greys." I look up to see Jose sticking his head into the room. Ana runs to him and gives him a hug. He comes inside, carrying a huge bag. He even has Rosie following him, who now has green hair.

They place sandwiches, pastries, coffee and juice on the table before Rosie leaves the room.

"I thought you guys might want something other than hospital food," he says.

"Thank you, dear. I haven't so much of thought of food. You're so thoughtful," Grace says to him.

"Mmmhhhmm," is his response to my mother, which almost makes me want to laugh.

"Thanks, Jose," I say to him. "Just bill my GEH account for the food."

"This is me being a friend. Friends don't charge friends for food," he says to me.

"Thanks, friend. Take a seat and wait with us."

"Are you hungry, baby?" Ana asks me as she leads me to an empty table.

"A bit. I skipped lunch. I'm going to go grab a sandwich," I say to her as I try to stand up, but she pushes me back in the chair.

"Sit down. Let me take care of you for a change," she says. She places a kiss on top of my head and goes to get me lunch. My heart swells with love and my eyes follow her across the room when I notice my mother watching us. Her eyes fill with tears again, but she quickly looks away. I just shake my head. I have no time to deal with Grace Grey and her bullshit right now.

"Hey, son," my grandfather says as he takes a seat across from me at the table. "Your grandma will be fine. I know it. She's the toughest woman I know. She'll be back to telling everyone who will listen I'm on Viagra again in no time." We both share a chuckle.

"God, I hope so," I say.

"You know, Ana reminds me a lot of your grandma when she was about that age. You know what attracted me to her other than her beauty? She always had this quiet strength about her. At first, you think she's shy or a pushover, but that's not it. She's the backbone. She's your comfort in the worst of times, the times where you fall apart, she will be the one who will put you back together again. She's the type of woman who would put herself last. Your grandmother would take on the world for me, and so would Ana. You better marry that girl, Christian. Don't fuck it up. And if she hasn't run away from all that bullshit my daughter threw at her, you do everything you can to keep her." He slams his hand on the table to prove his point.

"I'm not letting her go, grandad. I've told her this."

"Good. Good. I've never been so ashamed of your mother in my entire life like I was when I saw what happened in your office. And I let her know it too, and so did Adelle. But that girl stood up to my daughter and told her she was full of shit. That's the quiet strength that I'm talking about. A weaker woman would have had doubts about your love or run away, but not Ana."

"She's everything to me, granddad. Everything. If I had my way, we'd be married already, but knowing her, she'd think it's too soon," I tell him.

"Well, don't wait too long. In my day, we didn't do long courtships. What does Mia say? Just go ahead and put a ring on it, or something like that." I let out a laugh at the fact that my seventy year old plus grandfather knows that term.

"Don't even worry about it. I'm going to put a ring on it so big, they'll be able to see it from outer space." For the first time today, he laughs and slaps me on the shoulder.

"Hey, guys," Ana says as she walks over to us. "Baby, I got you the G-Money," Ana says. Jose created a sandwich called the G-Money, which he claims has all the most expensive lunchmeats. I'm not sure what's in it, but it tastes pretty good.

"And Theo, I wasn't sure which one you'd like, so I brought a couple of different options for you," she says. Grandpa picks up a chicken salad sandwich and winks at Ana.

"Thanks, darling, and it's grandpa. Now, sit down and join us." Elliot, Kate and Mia sit with us as well. Jose sits with the kids, and I shake my head at him coloring one of their coloring books.

"Where's your lunch, Ana?" I ask as I take a huge bite.

"Oh, I'm not hungry. I had just finished lunch when you called me," she says waving me off.

"That was hours ago, baby. Here. Take a bite," I offer. She takes a small bite, and while she chews it, I grab one of the extra sandwiches she brought to the table and place it in front of her. "Eat," I say.

She leans over and kisses my cheek. I put my arm around her, pull her close and kiss her hair.

"I told you I was going to take care of you today. He's always trying to take care of me, Theo," she says.

"Grandpa, darling. And let him. We raise the boys in our family to grow up into men who will take care of their women."

"I think this one was absent the day you taught that, Theo," Kate says as Elliot takes a huge bite of her sandwich.

"That one was in our remedial class," my grandfather says of Elliot, and we all laugh. "And please, I want all of you to call me grandpa. I didn't help raise these boys to be fools. You two aren't going anywhere," he says with a wink. "Mia, now you need to bring home a good boy, sweetheart."

"Oh, I don't think there are any of those left," she says.

"Nonsense," my grandfather says.

We eat in silence for a while until Kate's phone chirps with an incoming message.

"Babe, my brother's shift will be done in an hour. He says he'll watch Jackson over at my parent's house for me. He'll take EJ too if you want," Kate says. She goes on to explain that her brother, Ethan, is a psychologist right here at Northwest Hospital.

"That would be great because I'm not leaving until my grandmother is out of the operating room," Elliot says.

"Hey, Kate and Elliot, can I take the boys to the cafeteria for some ice cream since they ate all their food?" Jose asks.

"Please, daddy!" EJ says, climbing on Elliot's lap.

"Okay. Is it okay with you, Kate?" Elliot asks. Kate nods and the boys clap in glee.

"Bring me back some cookies and cream, Jose," Ana yells to their retreating backs.

* * *

ANA

"If I had known which sandwich she was going to eat, I would have put a laxative in it. Hell, I would have put two. Maybe that's her problem, you know. Maybe she's so backed up, she's just cranky," Jose whispers over to me as I eat the last bite of my ice cream.

"Cut it out. Don't make me laugh right now," I warn him.

"How the hell can she be such a huge bitch when she has the sweetest parents, and extended family? Something's wrong with her ass," he says dramatically.

"Well, she was actually nice to me today, believe it or not. My son needs you," I say as I mimic her voice.

"Well, that bitch is a day late and a dollar short. Her ass should have said that from day one," he says.

"Honestly, I don't even care about any of that anymore. I'm over it. I wish she'd make up with Christian because her actions have really hurt him. She doesn't have the power to hurt me. Piss me off? Yes, but not hurt."

"Good for you, girl. Don't give Dr. Bitch the satisfaction. Where did your man go?"

"He stepped outside to take a call from Ros," I tell him.

"Are you two engaged yet?" I roll my eyes at him.

"Shut up about that," I warn him.

"It's only a matter of time. You love him, don't you?" He asks. "Because if you don't, we can sneak out of this bitch."

"Of course, I do. More than anything. That's not even a question you should ask."

"Then what's the issue? Talk to me, woman," he says.

"I don't know. I guess I just wouldn't know how to be Mrs. Grey. Can you imagine the expectations of being married to someone like him? I'm not from high society, Jose. I wouldn't know how to be a Grey. I'd probably end up embarrassing him and me. And it's not like his mother is going to embrace me and show me the way."

"I bet you she would now. She'll bend over backwards, but you have his grandmother to help you, and his cousin. And really, what the fuck do you need to train for? It's not a triathlon. Just be yourself. You're smart, articulate and you have your own mind. You don't have to pretend to be anyone else. Besides, you've only conquered the role of girlfriend. You guys practically live together as it is. Don't let me remind you that you said the same thing when I told you that he was interested in more than just muffins, and look at you now."

"I know. I'm being crazy, but I'm fine with things the way they are." I don't mention to Jose how Christian talked about us already being married by my next birthday. I don't need to hear him say I told you so, so I don't mention it. Besides, Christian hasn't brought it up again. Maybe he's just fine with the status quo too.

"Shut up. Here he comes," I say to Jose as Christian walks back in. He takes the seat between me and Jose and puts his arms around me.

"I'm sorry we can't go to Napa," he says.

"Please, don't apologize for that. I want to be here for you and Adelle. I don't care about Napa," I tell him.

"Jose, do you want to go? Maybe take Floyd if he's free. Let me know so I can tell my pilot," Christian says to Jose. Jose opens and closes his mouth about half a dozen times before he grabs his phone and runs out of the room.

"I think that's a yes," Christian says to me.

"I love you," I say to him. He locks eyes with me before giving me a gentle kiss on the lips.

"I know you do, and I love you too. I adore you, Anastasia Rose Steele," he says.

We sit for about another hour until Ethan Kavanagh comes in to pick up the boys. Kate introduces everyone to him, including Mia, who was so enamored that she was speechless.

As soon as Ethan hugged me, Christian pulls me out of his arms and gave Ethan the death glare. Ethan simply shrugged and went to collect the boys.

"Was that necessary, Christian? He's an old friend who I haven't seen in three years," I say exasperated and a little embarrassed.

"He's lucky I didn't punch his teeth in. Fucking asshole," he says. I roll my eyes at him and cross my arms.

"He's like a brother to me. I see no difference between him and Elliot," I say. That doesn't seem to appease him because I see storm clouds in his eyes.

"That is not reassuring at all, baby. You're mine and I don't want anyone else touching you. And before you go off on me, I don't let any woman get near me either." Before I can give him a piece of my mind, Dr. Warren comes back in and the entire room is filled with silence as we wait for him to speak.

"Mrs. Trevelyan is fine. We did the angioplasty and she did great. She's in recovery but she'll be sent to the ICU soon. If everything goes well, she should only be here for about three days. Mr. Trevelyan, the nurse will come and grab you when she's ready for visitors. No more than 2 people in the room at a time and only for a few minutes," Dr. Warren says before leaving.

Everyone cheers. Grace and her brother hug Theo, who has tears in his eyes. My own eyes fill with tears as he looks up at the heavens, and mouths thank you.

"Dad, Cary and I can take you home, but I want you to come and stay with us while mom is here. I'll bring you back first thing," Grace says to her father a few hours later. Adelle has her own private room, and Theo has already been to visit. He told all of us that she's groggy and thinks it's best to wait until tomorrow for her to visit with the rest of the family.

"Gracie, I'm not leaving this hospital without my wife. If you want to do something for me, go to my house and bring me back some clothes because I'm not leaving here until your mother can leave with me," he says.

Grace and her brother both nod in understanding. Carrick volunteers to go with Grace and bring back clothes for her father.

"You want to go to a hotel, baby? I did promise you a weekend away, but I want to stay in town so we can come back here in the morning," Christian says to me.

"No, Christian. Let's just go home. I'll make you dinner and we can soak in your giant tub," I say, and I blush when I realize what I just said. "I mean, let's just go your house, which is your home, not mine."

"You had it right the first time, baby. Okay, let's go."

"Hey, C," Elliot says as he approaches. "Can Kate and I come too? I promised my woman and our kids a fun weekend, so how about it? You have that pool and you live closer to the hospital."

"You also have a pool, and we live in the same zip code. I'm probably only about half a mile closer to the hospital than you. Not to mention you can afford any hotel in the city, so make a reservation," Christian says, but he's smiling which means he's only giving Elliot a hard time.

"It will be fun, Christian," I say to him.

"Fine, you can come stay with us."

"Thanks, man. Kate and I will come now, and we'll go get the boys in the morning. It's all about your indoor pool, man. The boys talk about it all the time."

"Whatever, idiot."

"You wanna come too, Meems?" Elliot asks his sister, who was watching the entire exchange. She looks to Christian for an invitation, and when all he does is grab his phone and start to text, she simply shook her head no before walking away. I could have sworn I saw tears before she walked away.

* * *

"I thought we'd never get away from those two," Christian says as we walk into his bedroom. He kicks the door closed and pulls me into his arms for a deep kiss. "I just want to be alone with you in this room until morning."

Without another word, he unbuttons my blouse and takes it off. Without even stopping the kiss, he takes off my bra and removes my jeans. I help him with his clothes and in no time at all, we're both naked.

"I need you, Ana. It's been a stressful day, and I just want to lose myself in you." I reach down to grab his dick, and I realize just how much he wants me.

"Have me, baby," I say against his lips. He lifts me, and I wrap my legs around him as he walks us over to his bed. He's desperate and doesn't spend much time seducing me like he normally does. His kisses are urgent and full of need.

He lays me on my back, kisses my neck as he grabs a breast and massages my nipples. I let out a loud moan. He knows exactly what he does to me when he touches me like that.

He lets go of my breast and opens the folds of my pussy, checking to make sure I'm ready for him.

"I'm ready," I say, my voice filled with want.

He puts one finger, followed by a second before quickly removing them. Before I can even move, he enters me in one quick stroke. I wrap my legs around his waist, letting him fill me completely. His strokes are fast and deep.

He bites me at the nape of my neck as he continues to fuck me. It's not often we do missionary, and I love the feel of him on top of me, owning my body completely.

It's not long until I'm calling out his name and coming apart in his arms. He follows soon behind me, calling my name and whispering words of love.

We lay on our sides, our legs entwined and gazing into each other's eyes. He pushes the hair off my forehead and plants a kiss there before pulling me even closer.

"I love you, Ana," he says simply.

"I love you too," I say back with a smile. He doesn't smile back.

"I want to marry you," he says. I shouldn't be, but I'm taken aback. Is he asking?

"I take that back," he says, surprising me for the second time in just seconds.

"You're taking it back?"

"I'm _going_ to marry you."

"Really? Do I have a say?" I ask.

"Only if you say yes, but if you say no, I'm just going to keep asking. You're it for me, baby. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I'm not officially proposing now, but I want you to know that I want you as my wife." He sounds so confident, but I can see the uncertainty in his eyes. Not uncertainty about how he feels, but about how I feel.

"I love you just as much. I won't say no." And he gives me the most beautiful smile before kissing me with everything in him.

* * *

We arrive back in the hospital as soon as visiting hours start the next morning. Most of the same people are back, crowding in the ICU waiting room. Theo Trevelyan comes out, looking tired, but happy. He's in clean clothes and he has a smile on his face.

"She's doing fine everyone. In fact, she's in there worrying about me, asking why I didn't flirt with the cute nurse that came to check on her." Everyone laughs at that.

"Can Bruce and I go in now, dad?" Grace asks.

"She wants to see Elliot and Christian first, Gracie. Go on in boys. Don't keep her waiting our else she'll come out here and grab you by your ears." Christian plants a soft kiss on my cheek before following Elliot.

Theo walks over to his son and daughter and starts talking about how good Adelle is looking. Carrick comes and sits by me and Kate.

"Never a dull moment in this family, ladies," he says with a wink.

"That's for sure," Kate says. "How's Grace doing? She seems to be holding up."

"As best as can be expected. She completely broke down last night when we got home."

"But you were there for her, Cary. That's what's important," I say him. Despite all the drama lately, I know how much he loves his wife and his family. The three of us talk for a few more minutes before I excuse myself to use the bathroom.

After finishing, right before I flush, I could have sworn I heard a sniffle. Whatever it was, the noise of the toilet flushing drowns it. Since the bathroom was empty, I used the handicapped stall, which has its own sink. As I start to wash my hands, I definitely hear someone crying.

I dry my hands, not giving it a second thought since I am at the intensive care unit in a hospital. It's quite common to hear crying around here.

I almost trip over my own feet when I step out of the stall and see Dr. Grace Trevelyan Grey crying her heart out on the bench in the bathroom. The usually well put together doctor has blood shot eyes and fluid coming out of her nose as she completely loses it in front of me.

I should just keep walking, but I'm not that callous. Despite the issues they're having, Christian loves his mother, and I love Christian. If the situation were reversed, he would not walk away from Ray. He would reach out as a token of his love for me.

"Can I get Mia or Shana for you, Dr. Trevelyan?" I ask as I step closer to her, hoping she will tell me to just go away.

She continues to cry into the handkerchief. She looks up at me to speak, but the words just won't come out. Instead, she lets out a loud wail before muffling it into her handkerchief again.

I walk over and sit next to her. As soon as I sit, she grabs my hand and holds on to it. I don't pull away. It's obvious she needs another body right now. Instead, I put my arm around her and she rests her head on my shoulder and continues to cry.

I sit there, holding her as she continues to cry. Neither one of us speaks for several minutes, but she holds on to my hand for dear life and I gently stroke her hair as she cries.

"I screwed it all up, Ana. I managed to push my husband and my sons away. I'm probably the one who sent my mother into the hospital too when the truth about my relationship with my family came out. I've never seen such disappointment from my parents before. And I ask myself, is this how I've been looking at my sons? Elliot for the past year and a half, and Christian for the past year." She blows her nose into the hanky when she finishes speaking.

"Everyone is still her, Dr. Trevelyan. You can make things right."

"You want to know the worse part? I would have preferred if my parents had stayed angry with me, but they did the one thing I couldn't do for my children. They told me they love me and that they know I can fix this. Then they both hugged me. They gave me unconditional love. The kind I couldn't give my own sons. I know they're still here, but they won't even look at me, not that I blame them. And then I almost lost her. I almost lost my mother before I made things right with my family. She almost went into the afterlife disappointed in me." More tears roll down her face.

"But she made it. Everyone is still here, and I know they still love you. I'm not going to lie or sugarcoat things. Your treatment of your sons has been horrible, but you know what Christian tells me all the time? What a great childhood he had. How you and Carrick exposed him and his siblings to every possible opportunity, and how you saved him. He told me how patient, loving and kind you've always been. If that woman is still there inside of you, you can make things right with your sons," I say to her. "And Christian is hurt, Dr. Trevelyan. He doesn't understand how you abandoned him when he needed you. I think he misses the mother he had until a year ago."

"I don't understand it myself. Other than embarrassment and feeling like I failed him somehow. I should have taken his touch issues more seriously instead of hoping and praying he would outgrow them. I should have been proud of Elliot for stepping up and taking responsibility for his son. I should have done so many things. I've been a horrible mother to them both," she says before crying on my shoulder again.

"And I've been horrible to you. I really had good intentions when I came to your party,-" I decide to stop her right there.

"This isn't about me. It never was. You need to find a way to fix things with your sons and husband."

She simply nods.

"How did you do it? You touch him all the time now. How were you able to break those barriers?"

"I didn't do anything. In fact, he was comforting me when it happened. I had just confessed something painful from my past, and to show me how much he loves me, he put my hands on his chest. I want to show you how much you mean to me, he said. And that was that. He gave me that gift," And I wipe a tear from my eye just thinking about that night with my man, the man I'm going to marry.

Hearing my story only causes her to grab on to my hand longer and cry harder.

"Your son is amazing, Dr. Trevelyan. He truly is. He's the most beautiful person I've ever met, and I don't just mean his face. And you know what? You raised him. You're partly responsible for that. You raised those boys to be strong men, and that's a far cry from shitty parenting. Just look at their relationship with each other. They're so devoted to each other and that's because of you and Carrick," I say to her.

"So devoted they turn against me," she says, but for the first time, she laughs.

"So devoted that they stick up for each other no matter what. They are so selfless that they drop everything to be there for their grandmother. Elliot changed his entire life to accommodate his son. Even though he could, he doesn't let nannies raise EJ. Christian's life fell apart and he faced it head on. He fought for his company and his reputation and refused to run and hide. You and Carrick raised them to be that way. You can't erase the past year and a half, but you can move on from it. Both of your sons and your husband are still here. It won't happen overnight, but show them you're sorry by your actions, not your words."

She lifts her head and looks at me. Her eyes are still red, but the tears have stopped. She daps at her eyes again before standing up from the bench.

"I see why he loves you so much. Thank you, Ana. I have lots to make up for, but I'm going to start." She walks to the sink and starts to wash her face. I stand up and walk out of the bathroom and nearly run into Christian.

"You okay? You were in there a long time. I was about to come in," he says as he throws an arm across my shoulder. I intertwine my fingers with his as we walk back towards the waiting room.

"I'm good. How's Adelle?"

 **A/N: Let me know your thoughts on this chapter. Thank you for reading and reviewing.**


	25. Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

ALL CREDIT TO ELJ

ANA

6 weeks later

"I'm really proud of you for doing this," I say to Christian. He gives me pointed look before going into the closet and changing out of his suit. He puts on a pair of basketball shorts and a tee-shirt before stepping out of the closet and just collapsing on the bed.

"Whatever, Ana," he says to me drolly. "If anyone else had asked me to do this, I would have told them to kiss my ass."

"What if I had asked you?"

He lets out a loud snort.

"I happen to know for a fact you like to kiss my ass." I try to punch me in the chest, but he must have expected it because he blocks my arm before I can make contact.

"I don't kiss it. I bite it." I grab his arm and give it a hard bite. "Seriously, Christian. How did it go?"

"Fine."

"Fine, he says. That's it? Just fine?"

"Yes, just fine. I don't want to do this shit anymore. Why do I need to go to therapy when she's the one who fucked up? I've had years of therapy. I don't need anymore." Like a petulant child, he crosses his arms across his chest.

"Then why did you agree to do it?" I ask, already knowing the damn answer.

"Because my grandmother asked me to, Ana. How was I supposed to say no to her when she just came out of surgery? She could barely talk, but she asked this of me and Elliot."

"Do you think she was manipulating you or the situation?"

"Of course not. She's not that type of person. I think she was afraid she was going to die and didn't want to leave us fragmented. My grandparent aren't manipulative people, Ana. This is the first time they've ever asked us for anything."

"Then I don't understand why you're so cranky. She asked, and you agreed, you've already gone to some sessions. What's the issue?" I ask.

"The issue is I don't think a million hours of therapy with my mother crying and apologizing is going to make up for a year's worth of her shitty treatment. I'm cranky because I don't think I'll be able to do this for my grandmother, which is the only thing she's ever asked of me in my entire life. And I'm really pissed because although I never asked my sister or anyone in the family to pick sides, Mia did, and now she wants me to act like she didn't make a choice." He takes his large hands and covers his face with them while he lets out a loud breath.

I get on the bed next to him, pull one hand away from his face and kisses the palm.

"I'm sorry," I say softly.

"For what? You're the only one who keeps me sane. I'm the one who's sorry for bringing you into this mess."

I'm taken aback by his words and a little hurt by them.

"You're sorry you pursued me?"

He turns to his side to face me.

"Are you nuts? No. That's one of the few things I've done right in my life. I'm sorry it had to be during this time when my family is so damn fucked up. I wish we had met years ago when we were somewhat normal."

"What's normal, Christian? I happen to love your family, warts and all. With the exception of your mother, everyone has been incredibly welcoming towards me. You're focusing on the past year, which was shitty. But, you have almost three decades of a cohesive family. The truth is, it's just your mother who's been horrible this past year, not your entire family. You can't go back and change what's happened, but you can move forward from here. Not to make this about me, but my biggest regret in life is that I didn't work things out with my mother, and now I'll never get the chance. You still do, and you have the help of a therapist, Elliot, your dad, grandparents, cousins and me. Just go in with an open mind and open heart, okay?" I lean in and give him a soft kiss on the cheek.

"I sound like a fucking brat with all my whining, don't I?" He asks looking sheepish.

"No, and don't you dare discount how you feel. And it was only the third session, so it will take time."

At that he rolls his eyes.

"Don't remind me. We're supposed to have a family session next. In the meantime, it was recommended we have a family brunch this Sunday."

"What's the big deal about that? It's not like you haven't gone to family functions before."

"Yes, but I can't avoid her this time. Sunday at my grandparents. Mia, Grace and Shana are hosting. We're supposed to be there around noon," he says casually. I take a deep breath and prepare myself for his anger.

"I can't go," I say simply. He looks at me as if he couldn't believe what he just heard. He raises his head off the bed to get a better look at me.

"I couldn't have heard that right."

"You did. I can't go. I'm meeting some classmates at eleven to work on our group project. We probably won't be done until mid afternoon or even later." I speak clearly so he will understand.

"Reschedule," he orders as he gets off the bed and walks out the door.

A rush of anger causes me to bolt off the bed and go after him. His legs are much longer than mine, so I have to run to catch up to his strides.

"What did you just say?" I ask. He stops and turns around to face me.

"I said reschedule," he says as dismissively as possible before continuing to walk away from me. I decide to stop chasing after him and just make my feelings known about his directive.

"Not happening, hot shot." He stops mid stride. I knew that term would annoy him. It annoys him every time Elliot uses it.

"Don't call me that. Fine. If you won't go, I won't either."

"You're supposed to be working on things. You can't just not show up."

"Why not? You can," he says angrily. If anyone else was dealing with him, they would think that this is just him being angry because he's not getting his way, like he does all the time. Someone in his position only has to say something once before everyone around him jumps to make it happen. I get it. I get that he's not used to being told no, but I'm not used to being told what to do.

"This isn't my family, it's yours, and you committed to working on things. Your grandmother is counting on you. Furthermore, Christian, I'm working really hard on getting my degree and this group project is a big part of my grade. I thought you'd be supportive of that." I hope those words sink in because I'm this close to losing my temper and that's the last thing I want to do.

"I'm not asking you not to do the damn project, Anastasia." I know he called me Anastasia to get back at me for the hot shot comment. "I'm asking you for your damn support in this clusterfuck that is my family."

"Don't you dare accuse me of not being supportive of you, Christian Grey. It's one damn brunch. You can manage for a few hours without me."

"It's not an accusation. It's a fact. All I'm asking is that you reschedule so you can be there for me. Is that too much to ask?"

"No, it's not, but it's not that simple. There are 3 other people involved and they all work. It's not so simple to just reschedule. Not everyone is like you. They have bosses to report to." I'm angry now. I can feel how flushed my face is.

"Well, thanks so much for your understanding." The sarcasm is not lost on me as he turns his back on me and walks away. Having enough of his bullshit, I follow him and grab his arm, forcing him to look at me.

"How dare you, Christian? I've done nothing but be there for you. Despite your mother practically calling me a prostitute and an opportunist on more than one occasion, I do everything in my power to get you to work things out with her because I know how much you love her, and you have the nerve to accuse me of not being supportive of you. You're acting like a spoiled brat right now." And with that, I turn my back on him and walk away. It's him who follows me this time.

He grabs me by the elbow and spins me around.

"I'm just asking you to do this one thing for me, Ana. What's the big fucking deal."

"Well, first, you didn't ask. You ordered me to reschedule. And the big deal is that my degree is important to me. I want a career in teaching and I can have that unless I graduate. That's the big fucking deal." I yank my elbow away from him and storm into the master bedroom with him hot on my heels.

"That fucking school wouldn't dare! And why in the hell do you even need to work?" Unable to believe what I think I just heard, I turn around to face him.

"What the hell did you just say to me?" I expect him to be contrite, but I get the complete opposite.

"I said why do you even need to work?" He says loudly, as if I'm hard of hearing. "Did you hear that?" He yells again, closer to my ear this time.

I take a step back at his audacity, but he takes a step forward, invading my space.

"Why wouldn't I need to work?"

"Look around you, Anastasia. We're not exactly desperate for your teacher's salary. That wouldn't pay for shit around here."

I feel the sting of tears at my eyes, but I fight them back. I thought he knew exactly what being a teacher meant to me. One night last week, we stayed up until the early hours of the morning, and I explained to him that part of wanting to be a teacher was to be there for the kid who, like me, was neglected by their parents. I told him I knew what signs to look for, and if I could reach just a few in my career, it would be worth it.

I remember how he held me and told me that I would make a great teacher and role model. He was the first person I ever told the real reason why I want to be a teacher. Not even Jose knows. I think he might suspect it, but I've never said those words to him.

"You're right, Christian. My meager teacher's salary can't pay for shit here, but it can pay for plenty at my house."

I walk around him and run into the closet where I grab a pair of random shoes and my purse.

I storm out of the closet and nearly collide into his chest.

"You're walking out on me?" He speaks calmly but I can sense the anger just simmering.

"I'm going home. _My_ home that my measly funds can afford. When I get there, I'm going to work on my project. And when I pass this class, that will get me that much closer to my dream of being a teacher. Maybe when I get my first paycheck, I take you out for a happy meal, jerk!" I put my hands on his chest to shove him out of my way, but he doesn't budge. Instead, I walk around him and run downstairs and into the garage.

"Fuck!" I yell when I realize I don't have the key to my car. The fucking car that he gave me, which I won't touch now. I can call an Uber, but I'd have to walk half a mile to the gate, and I can't trust that the Uber driver won't leak this to The Nooz. And fucking Jose is visiting his parents for the weekend.

I could take any of his other cars, but I don't even know where he keeps those keys. I'm sure the controlling bastard knows this, which is why he hasn't tried to stop me from leaving.

In my anger, I toss my purse on the ground and make the small trek to Jason and Gail's house.

What the fuck just happened? We've never fought like this. Never! And he's never been condescending to me. This is not my Christian. Something else happened today that he's not telling me about, but I'm too angry to go back and ask him what.

* * *

CHRISTIAN

Just as I predicted, Ana's walking across the meadow to Taylor and Gail's place. I knew she wouldn't be able to leave since I'm looking at the keys to her Bentley, and she has no idea that the keys to the other cars are in the security room.

I throw myself face first into my massive and cold bed. Cold now that she's not in it. As stubborn as she is, she'll probably ask Jason to take her home.

I grab my phone and send him a quick text telling him that under no circumstances is he to take her home.

I curse when I see his response.

 **Taylor: She's pissed, boss. Gail is mixing her a drink right now. What did you do?**

 **Me: Nothing**

 **Taylor: Then why did she just call you a condescending, smug jackass?**

I end the text after that, relieved that she's not leaving and only cursing my name with our friends. I can deal with that.

She's not wrong about me being a jackass. I was a total jackass, and the minute the words left my lips about her not needing to work, I knew I had gone too far, but like the idiot I am, I refused to back down. In the process, I know I've dug an even deeper grave for myself.

I'm not even angry at her. I'm annoyed with her for not being able to come with me on Sunday, but I understand.

I'm not even mad at the therapy session. I was irritated by it, but I agreed to do it, and when I commit to something, I give it my all.

No, the source of my anger is directed at the one and only Raymond Steele.

 **10 HOURS EARLIER**

" _I should probably just sell it. I can't see the day that I'd ever take Ana there," I say to Taylor once we're in Charlie Tango and flying out of Seattle._

" _Probably, boss. I thought Mia wanted to move in there?" Jason asks about my empty penthouse at Escala._

" _In her dreams. I'll call my realtor one of these days," I say with a nervous sigh._

" _You nervous boss? I never thought I'd see the day."_

" _Lucky for you Gail's father's dead and you didn't have to do this shit. I don't even know why I'm doing this. Ana would kill me if she knew," I say to Jason._

" _Then why the hell are you?"_

" _Because I'm a masochist," I respond._

 _Neither one of us speaks again as I concentrate on my flight plan. I called Ray last night and made plans to fly to Montesano and see him this morning._

 _All he did was say okay and tell me to be there by ten before he hung up the phone. I'm only doing this because Ana's dealt with so much bullshit from my mother that I want to at least have a good relationship with her father. Lord knows I don't need his permission to marry his daughter, but I'd at least want him to be happy about it._

 _That fucking disaster of a birthday party certainly won't help me win any brownie points. Fucking Grace Grey._

 _Less than an hour later, I'm walking up to Raymond Steele's door. He must have been looking out the window for me because the door opened before I reached the top step._

" _Come in, Christian," he says at the door, extending his hand to me. "You want some coffee?"_

 _I simply nod at his question. He motions for me to follow him into his kitchen._

 _It's a much smaller house than anything I'm used to, but it's updated with new appliances and countertops. The furniture looks expensive, though. I think I remember Ana telling me that he makes all his own furniture, including her bedroom furniture._

 _I stand in his kitchen awkwardly as he brews the coffee, the strong aroma quickly overtaking the small space._

" _How was your drive in?" He asks suddenly as he pours the black liquid into a mug, handing it to me._

" _We flew in actually," I say._

" _Flew? We? Are you hiding my daughter somewhere?" He asks, looking out the window. Where the fuck would I hide a human being?_

" _Yeah. I, uh, have a helicopter, and I came with my head of security, Taylor. I think you met him at the party." Helicopter, head of security and the fucking party in one sentence. Nice going, Grey, you fucking moron._

 _I take a large gulp of the coffee, wishing I could erase the last thirty seconds._

" _That party certainly was interesting," he says as he sips his own coffee, looking me in the eye over the rim of his mug._

 _Having no desire to discuss that disaster of a party again, I decide to ignore his comment. Ray's been to Seattle twice since that party, and each time it was when he was passing through on his way to somewhere else. And both times I was out of town and couldn't join him and Ana for dinner._

" _I came here to discuss something very important with you, Mr. Steele."_

" _I figured as much. Go ahead, and it's Ray." He points to the small round table positioned next to a huge bay window. I take a seat and, he sits opposite me._

" _As you know, Ray, I love your daughter very much. I want to marry her, and I plan on asking her soon." His eyes bore into me and I sip my coffee again. Before I can continue, he speaks._

" _Ana's an adult, Christian. She doesn't need my permission to do anything. I don't get a vote in who she wants to marry." This guy is definitely not warm and fuzzy._

" _I'm not here to ask for permission. Honestly, she'd kill me if she knew I was here right now, but I know you mean a lot to her, and it would make her happy if you were happy when we tell you the news."_

" _If you realize she wouldn't want you to be here, then why are you? You don't take my daughter's feelings into consideration?" I put my mug down to look at him in the eye. Now I regret leaving Taylor outside. I need him here to keep me from beating the shit out of Ana's father._

" _Ever since I first laid eyes on your daughter, all I've done is take her feelings into consideration. I really don't appreciate or understand your hostility, Ray. I know I don't need to be here, but I'm here hoping that we can be friends for Ana's sake."_

" _You've allowed your mother to openly disrespect my daughter. Is that taking her feelings into consideration?" At that I abruptly stand up. Ray stands also._

" _I've done no such thing. My mother was not invited to that party, and I've cut her out of my life over her treatment of Ana. You don't know what the hell you're talking about it." I know I should calm down, but I can't._

" _I know what I heard. Listen, Ana's grown and she's free to do what she wants. If she wants to marry you, I'll be happy for her, but I worry about her. She only has me and Jose in this world, and I don't want her getting put in her place by your high society circle everything she takes a breath."_

" _She has me and a whole bunch of other people. My family adores her, Ray. My mother's issues are to do with me and have nothing to do with Ana. If you'd bother to spend more than an hour with her you'd know that," I practically yell at him. I take a seat, not wanting this to escalate. I drain my coffee and stand back up, buttoning my suit jacket. "I realize now this meeting was a mistake. Good day."_

 _I start to walk towards the door when he calls my name. I turn to face him._

" _Sit down. I'm not done." This fucker has the nerve to give me orders. For the sake of Ana, I turn around but I don't sit down. "I have another concern."_

" _Go ahead."_

" _You live a very public life. Hell, I know more about your past than I need to. I'm not worried about that aspect of it. Ana doesn't do anything she doesn't want to do. She's no pushover or doormat, but I do worry about one thing. Will you be faithful to my daughter? Have you been?" I close my eyes and count to ten at his implications. Counting didn't help to calm the storm Raymond Steele had unleased within me._

" _What the hell do you think you know about me? I can tell by your so called concerns that you don't know shit. If you did, you would never have asked that question, which I won't even dignify with a response." I start walking towards the door again._

" _It's a legitimate concern, whether you think so or not." I turn around to face him again._

" _Really? Are you projecting onto me? Since you know so much about me, maybe I should let you in on what I know about you. You're the one who couldn't be faithful to your wife, Ray. I might have my issues, but being a lying, cheating piece of shit has never been one of them. Since you claim to trust your daughter's judgment so much, you should trust that she would never be with a cheater." I start to walk away again, but he stops me in my tracks with his next words._

" _You're not the guy I would choose for my daughter."_

" _You wouldn't choose the guy who loves her so much he'd lay down and die for her? Well then it's a good thing you don't get a vote." With that I finally walk out of his house, slamming the door with all my might._

" _Fucking asshole," I yell when I slide into the back seat of the town car that Taylor's driving._

" _It didn't go well?"_

 _I tell him everything that happened. I see Taylor's jaw clench as does his hands on the steering wheel._

" _This doesn't change anything, boss. Ana doesn't need his permission."_

 _I lean back against the leather headrest._

" _It was never about. She's just dealt with so much drama from my family. I wanted to be friends with her father for her sake. She has so little family as it is, but obviously this wasn't a very good idea."_

About an hour later, as I'm sitting in my office nursing a glass of whiskey, Taylor walks in.

"I know. I know. I'm an asshole and Gail's probably ready to kick my ass. And Ana's probably ready to dump me, not that I blame her." I finish my whiskey with one large gulp and pour myself another.

"Gail's definitely not your biggest fan right now. Talk about putting your foot in my mouth."

"And Ana?"

"Concerned," he says as he pours himself a drink. "She's worried about you. She was angry when she first arrived, but I heard her telling Gail that something else must be bothering you and that the man she knows and loves would never act this way."

A sense of shame takes over me. Shame and guilt, not a good combination.

"You're a lucky SOB, boss. You should probably get your ass over there and start groveling. Ana just asked Gail to drive her home, and Gail's pissed off enough at you to do it."

"I feel so defeated, Taylor. He told me that he's not who I would pick for his daughter. That hurts."

"Are you going to give his daughter up because of how he feels?"

"Fuck no. I love that woman so much, but her father hates me so much that he doesn't even care about that. The fucker accuses me of cheating when he's the one who couldn't keep his pants zipped long enough to pay attention to his daughter. The girl practically raised herself, and that fucker wants to pass judgment on me? Fuck him!" I reach for the whiskey again, but Taylor takes it away.

"Exactly. Raymond Steele can fuck off. Get your ass over there, tell her you were a jackass and get on one knee. Not everything in life has to be perfect, boss."

"I can't do it now, Jason. I don't even have the damn ring yet."

"Why the hell not? I know she's waiting for you to come over there. Before I left, she kept looking towards the door."

"Yeah, probably biding her time to make her exit."

"If she wanted to leave, she would have left already. Hell, she would have walked home by now. You two had a fight. That's it. Don't make this a bigger deal than it needs to be. Tell the girl why you behaved like an ass. Don't make her wait too long, boss." He finishes his drink and walks out of my office.

I sit there for another ten minutes feeling sorry for myself before I take Taylor's advice and make the small walk to his house.

I simply let myself in and walk towards the kitchen, where I hear their voices.

"I told Jason I want to go somewhere warm for the holidays."

"Not this again, Gail. We just got back from our honeymoon," Jason says.

"Too bad. I want to go to the Caribbean. I'll let you know where exactly, Jason Taylor." I should offer Taylor some advice.

"Start packing, Taylor," I say as I make my presence known. Ana looks up when she sees my voice, and for a split second, I see how happy she is to see me, before she crosses her arms and turns her back towards me.

"Hi, Gail. Hi, baby." I approach Ana and puts both hands on her shoulders. She doesn't shrug my hands away, but she doesn't turn to face me either.

"Boss," Gail manages to say tightly.

"Can we talk, baby?"

"There's a spare bedroom down the hall, boss," Taylor says. I don't give Ana time to respond, I take her hand in mine and lead her into the guest room.

She walks to the window and looks out, giving me her back once again.

I stand behind her and touch her shoulders again.

"I'm sorry, baby. I was a jerk back at the house."

"You got that right, Christian Grey."

"You know how proud I am of you, Ana. I want you to have everything that you want, including being a teacher. I support you in everything and I'm sorry for belittling your career choice. Whatever you want to do, I'm behind you one hundred percent. Please forgive me."

She finally turns to face me, and thankfully I don't see anger in her eyes. I see confusion.

"Of course, I forgive you. I know you and what happened back there wasn't you, but don't you ever talk to me like that again, Christian. I won't put up with being belittled."

I hang my head in shame.

"You don't ever have to worry about that happening again. I'm so sorry, Ana."

What's really going on?" It's my turn to turn and stare out the window this time.

"Talk to me, please. We agreed to open communication. Look at me."

I turn to face her. She looks up at me with her big, blue eyes waiting for me to speak.

"Is it the therapy?" She asks, still confused. "Are they rushing you? Is it too much too soon?"

"No, it's nothing like that. I went to see your father this morning."

"You did what? Why?"

"Let me finish before you speak, okay?" When she nods, I continue. "I wanted to talk to him before I asked you to marry me but, it didn't go like I had hoped." I tell her everything that happened between me and her father this morning.

"He said what?" She yells out when I'm done talking. "He has some fucking nerve! He spends most of my childhood ignoring me so he can chase skirt and now he has the nerve to point the finger at you." She grabs my face and forces me to look at her. "You know I don't believe that, right? If I know one thing it's that you love me, and I trust you. Don't let my father put any of his bullshit ideas in your head."

"I'd never let him come between us, Ana. You've just put up with so much drama from my family and I wanted it to be different between me and your dad."

"I know. And I love you for it, but any lack of relationship between you and Ray is on him, not on you. And really, Christian, you don't need to ask my father for permission to marry me. That tradition is sexist."

"I knew you'd say that," I say with a smile. "I was only extending an olive branch to him. I know you two have been working on your relationship, and I wanted him to feel included. Come here." I take her in my arms and seal her lips with mine. We stand in the spare bedroom holding each other.

"I love you, baby," I say against her lips.

"I love you, too."

"So, tell me about this proposal," she says playfully.

"Oh, it was going to be epic," I say just as playfully. "Lavish dinner. Ring hidden in the dessert. Our names spelled out in fireworks and a marching band after you said yes."

"Oh, wow! That sounds grand. You know I don't need lavish. I just need you to ask me."

"Like this? Anastasia Rose Steele, ever since I laid eyes on you on that last day of March, you've all I've been able to think about. You became my everything in that one instant. Every single minute of every single day, I fall more and more in love with you. I want it all with you, Ana. will you marry me?"

"Yes, I will. See how simple that was?"

I pull back to look at her.

"Did you just seriously agree to marry me? The ring won't be ready until Tuesday, and -" I pull on my hair and start to ramble.

She throws her head back and laughs, stopping my rambling.

"Right here in Gail and Taylor's spare bedroom. We're getting married, Christian Grey! And I don't need a ring to agree to marry you. I'm easy," And she throws herself in my arms as I spin her around the bedroom as we both laugh.

"Gail! Taylor! Get in here now," I yell as I open the bedroom door and stick my head down the hallway with Ana still in my arms. Taylor and Gail quickly appeared.

"She said yes!" We all whoop with joy. Gail forgets she's pissed at me and hugs both me and Ana, her eyes filled with tears. Taylor throws a fist pump in the air before she shakes my hand. He grabs Ana from me and hugs her, spinning her around the room like I just did.

"I told you you didn't need a damn marching band, boss," Taylor says.

Ana stops laughing and looks at me.

"You were serious about that?"

"I sure was baby! Come on, let's go back to my place and have champagne. Taylor, call Elliot and tell him to bring his ass over here. We'll FaceTime Jose when Elliot gets here and we'll tell the rest of our family over the weekend." I'm so fucking happy, I swoop up my fiancé in my arms and carry her to our house.

"That's a lot of people, Christian. When are we going to celebrate alone?" Ana asks suggestively, wiggling her eyebrows.

"I'll kick them out in an hour, and then we can celebrate naked."

Gail is getting the champagne as Taylor calls Elliot. I have Ana on my lap, our lips locked.

Taylor comes walking back in, his face locked on his iPhone.

"Elliot and EJ are on their way, boss. He says he's bringing Kate and Jackson as well. And, um, Raymond Steele is at the gate asking to be let in."

 **A/N: I'm afraid this story is coming to an end soon, readers. Thank you all once again for all of the support for this story. I hope Ray is there to beg for forgiveness. Thank you all for reading and reviewing. Laters.**

 **I meant to post this last night, but my home Wifi decided to go out, and work has the audacity to partially block parts of FF. Thank you KC Caron for your help in getting this chapter posted.**


	26. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER 26**

 **ALL CREDIT TO ELJ**

 **CHRISTIAN**

"Jesus fucking Christ! Can't we just have one single moment of happiness without one of our family members swooping in to shit all over it?" I yell in frustration.

Ana, who's still on my lap at the kitchen table, calmly rubs my shoulders to calm me down. She follows the rub with a gentle kiss on my neck and I forget all about my anger.

"Shall I tell the guards to turn him away, boss?" Taylor asks.

I'd love nothing more than to tell Raymond Steele to fuck off and to go back to Montesano, but I've reached my breaking point with all the friction with our family.

"I'd like to say a few words to my father," Ana chimes in.

"Let him in, but I swear to god, Ana, I will not hesitate to kick your father's ass if he starts any shit. We're supposed to be celebrating our engagement, not arguing with family members."

"If you want to kick his ass, you'll have to get in line," Ana says. "I call dibs."

I give Taylor the nod and he types something on his phone as he starts to walk away. Gail tells us she's going to grab some champagne and my fiancé turns to look at me.

She grabs my face before bringing her lips to mine.

"We're getting married," she says in awe.

"We're getting married, baby," I say as I nibble behind her ear. She grinds on my dick, giving me a flirty look as she feels my erection.

"You're going to get a lot of that tonight," I whisper in her ear as I do a mini thrust. She giggles as she kisses my lips again.

"You always know exactly what I need," she says.

"That's because I love you."

"I know you do. And I love you," she says as she looks into my eyes. I almost feel my eyes fill with tears at having the unbelievable luck of meeting her, falling in love with her and having her love me back, despite all the bullshit we've endured.

"Your father is here, Ana." Taylor's voice breaks me of my revelry. I reluctantly break eye contact from my fiancé and look at her father.

He's standing in our kitchen, looking as formidable as always. He's about Taylor's height, well built and still youthful looking.

We both stare at him, waiting for him to speak. I'd offer him a seat, but I'm not feeling particularly welcoming.

"Ana. Christian," he says, taking off his Mariner's baseball cap.

"Dad."

"Christian, I think I owe you an apology for how things went down earlier today," he begins.

"You think you do?" Ana says, getting up from my lap and walking towards Ray. She stands directly in front of him, hands on her hips. She's about half his height and maybe one third his weight, but I see him take a step back.

"Listen, Ana, I admit I was an ass this morning I'm sorry." He looks past Ana and makes eye contact with me. "Christian came over with good intentions and I was a jerk, though you could have just answered the question, son."

"The question about whether or not he's faithful to me, dad? How is that any of your business? He was trying to reach out and you shit all over it," Ana says before I can answer.

"He was, Ana. I admit my part in this. That's why I'm here. And it's my business because you're my daughter. I was looking out for you."

"Wow. You were looking out for me. Where was this concern when I was fourteen, dad? I needed you to look out for me when I was a kid and a scared teenager, but all you and Carla did was ignore me and make me feel unwanted, but now at twenty four you want to assert your authority to my fiancé? Give me a break. I needed you then, not now."

I see Ray's shoulders sag in defeat and for a second, I almost feel bad for him. Almost.

I look at Taylor as he mouths 'oh shit' to me.

"You're right, Annie, I was a shitty father and an even shittier husband to your mother. All we ever did was cheat on each other, and I don't want that for you. I'm sorry."

"You both were shitty parents, dad, but I'm done dwelling on that. You say you trust my judgment, right?"

"I do."

"Then you should trust that I'd never be with someone who would cheat on me. I've had enough of that living with you and Carla to last me a lifetime. It's too late for you to treat me like a child. You actually had the opportunity to do that when I was an actual kid. You blew it, so you don't get to do it now."

"You're right, but I'm still your father, Annie. I still want to be part of your life. I don't want to lose all the progress we've made in our relationship since your mother died." Ray rubs his hands over his face, and for the moment I actually do feel sorry for him. "You're the only family I have."

"Dad, the only way you will lose me is if you continue to be an ass to my fiancé. He loves me, and you'd see it if you would spend any time with us."

"So, you did it, huh?" Ray says looking at me.

"I did it," I respond.

Ray clears his throat once the room goes silent.

"Listen, you two. I'm really happy for you both. Congratulations. I assume Ana told you some of the problems I had in my marriage?" He asks.

"She did," I say with a nod.

"Well, since Carla died, I've done a lot of soul searching and when I look back, I see all the damage we both did to Ana and to each other. Despite all of that, she grew up into a wonderful woman, no thanks to the two of us. I don't want her to have to go through what I put Carla through. That's why I asked what I did, but Annie's right. She would never be in a relationship like that. She's much stronger than I realize sometimes. So, congratulations on the engagement. I'm really happy for you both. I hope you both will accept my apology." I walk to them and put my arm possessively around Ana's waist.

"Apology accepted, Ray. We've done enough fighting in this family to last a lifetime. Spend the weekend with us. I'd like to get to know you." I offer him my hand and he takes it, giving my hand a firm shake. For the sake of Ana, I actually do want a good relationship with my future father in law.

"I'd like that if it's okay with you, Annie."

"Of course, dad."

"Hey, Grey and future Grey," Elliot says giving Ana a kiss on the cheek, oblivious of the frigid temperature in the room.

"Uncle Chrissy!" EJ says running towards me for a hug. He soon leaves me and goes to his favorite person.

"Pick me up, Tay!" And Taylor lifts him and sits him on his shoulder.

"Lift me," Jackson says, pulling on Taylor's pants, but then he notices Ray, who's nearly as tall, and forgets about Taylor.

"Up," he says to Ray, lifting his arms. Raymond swoops him up and sits him on his shoulder just like Taylor did to EJ.

"What happening?" Kate says as she breezes in. I notice they have multiple overnight bags.

"We're staying the weekend, by the way," Elliot says.

"My house is not a damn resort, Elliot. Take your family to Disney Land like you've been promising, you cheap bastard."

"Bastard!" Both boys yell out before they start to giggle.

"Jackson! Evan James! Enough of that," Kate chastises.

"Evan James? You mean EJ doesn't stand for Elliot junior?" Ana asks in disbelief.

"Um, no. His mother hates me, Ana. Anyway, what's the news you want to share?"

"Ana and I have an announcement." I get up from the kitchen table, walk over to Ray and extend a hand to him, offering him a truce. He takes my hand and gives me a nod in understanding.

"Pop the champagne, Gail," I say to her.

Gail quickly pops the bottle of Armand de Brignac Brut Gold.  
"Oh, shit, Kate! He's opening the good stuff," Elliot says to Kate, and they both high five each other.  
"Shit," EJ whispers.

"Evan James," Kate warns again. "Elliot Grey, watch your language!"

"Sowwy," EJ says, not looking the least bit contrite.

"Sorry, babe."

"Let me get Jose on FaceTime! Christian, should we call your dad too?" I shake my head no and remind Ana that dad's out to dinner with Grace tonight. Part of their therapy is to go out alone once per week. Even though dad moved back home after Adelle's heart scare, he has not put any pressure on us to forgive Grace.

And even though Grace got her Pediatrician of the Year award, it was in absentia since she was at her mother's bedside.

"Hey, gurl," I hear Jose say. "My mama's making progress. She's only been to church once today, and there hasn't been a priest in sight yet. Hey, is that Ray in the background? Hey, Ray. Elliot and Kate are there too? You wait til I go out of town to have a party over at G-Money's? You're cold, Ana. You just wait until I get back," he rambles.

"Do you want to hear what we have to say, or are you going to continue to run your mouth?"

"Speak, child!" Jose says dramatically, wiping imaginary sweat from his forehead.

"We're getting married!" Ana screams.

Everyone is silent for about two seconds until everything turns into pandemonium. Elliot snatches Ana into a bone crushing hug. Kate starts to cry. Ray sets Jackson down and takes Ana from Elliot and hugs his daughter.

The boys are running around screaming for absolutely no reason.

I grab the iPad to find Jose doing the worst ugly cry I've ever seen. He dramatically sniffs and swipes the tears from his eyes. I just stare at him and fight off the laugh that bubbling inside of me.

"What's wrong with him, uncle Chrissy" EJ asks. I turn to see both boys staring at Jose too.

"I'm just so happy, EJ. I'm going to have the wedding of my dreams through my BFF. It's what I've always dreamed of," he says before he goes back to his ugly cry. The boys just give the iPad and odd look before they start chasing each other.

"A toast, boss!" Gail orders as she hands me a glass of champagne. I set the iPad down so Jose can see and hear and reach for my fiancé.

She comes over and takes my hands.

"For once, I'm speechless. Let's just say, I'm the luckiest man on this planet. Fate threw Ana in my path. I was going through one of the roughest times of my life. My private life was a public joke. My company was in trouble. My relationship with my mother had gone down the toilet, and I had fallen into a depression. I was at an all time low until one rainy Monday morning when I saw the most beautiful woman working in my building." I turn to face Ana. "Baby, I was drawn to you from that instant. I knew from that moment on that you were the key to everything. So out of all the ugliness, I got the most beautiful gift, and that gift is you." He eyes fill with tears, and she leans in to give me a kiss. I look up to find both Gail and Kate crying. Gail is holding on to Taylor, who looks a little emotional himself.

"That's a beautiful speech, G-Money. Ana, show me the damn ring, girl!"

"It's not ready yet. Soon, though," I say.

"G-Money, I know you didn't just propose to my girl without a fat diamond for her petite hand. Hell no! I bet Ana was like I don't need a ring, honey."

"That's exactly what she said," I laugh. "I'm going to give you everything, baby," I say to her.

"You already have."

"Okay, you two are lame now. When are we gonna do this thing? I've never been a best man before."

"Why do you assume you're going to be the best man, Elliot? I'm the one who actually helped the boss get the girl." Taylor says.

"Oh, stop. You both can be my best men." They high five each other and Gail rolls her eyes.

"I'm going to warm up the dinner I made earlier. Someone turn on some music. Let's celebrate!" Gail turns towards to the refrigerator.

* * *

Hours later, I find myself sitting in on the couch in the master bedroom as I wait for my fiancé. For hours we ate dinner, drank champagne and laughed. We took the party to the pool. Everyone got in the pool, but Ana and I sat in the hot tub and talked about the first time we were in the hot tub together.

" _I wanted to do this," I say as I reach for her, lift her and place her on my lap. "And this," I say before I kissed her deeply. The kiss is only interrupted by Elliot's whistling and clapping._

"Come on out, baby!" I yell from the couch as I type some instructions for tomorrow. "I'm ready to consummate our engagement."

I'm already semi hard in nothing but my boxers as I wait for my fiancé to come out. I could barely keep my hands off her in the shower after our swim, but she told me she wanted me on the bed tonight, and because I always want to give her what she wants, I agreed.

I hear the door to the bathroom open, followed by footsteps. I'm busy texting, so I don't look up until her I see her shadow in front of me.

"Is this what you thought about when you first saw me that rainy Monday in March?" I look up to find Ana standing in front of me in a flimsy silk robe and a pair of red stilettos.

She unfastens the sash to the robe and it crumples to the floor, revealing her naked body.

"You wanted to see this? Touch it? Taste it?" She cups both breasts, and I like my lips and nod like an idiot. "Tell me. Tell me what you wanted to do to me when you first saw me."

I stand up and stand in front of her.

"How about a little show and tell?" Before she can respond, I scoop her naked body up bridal style and carry her to the bed.

"I wanted to do so many things to you. I wanted to bring you here and worship your body," I say as I throw her on the bed. Before she can adjust herself, I'm on top of her, pinning her to the bed. "Then I saw the look in your eyes when you recognized me, and I wanted to spank your little ass red for judging me."

I turn her around so she can lay on her stomach. I leave a trail of wet, hungry kisses down her spine. The goosebumps on her body confirm how turned on she is. I reach her round butt and bit each cheek.

"Ah," she says as I bite hard. I reward her whimper with a hard smack on each cheek, leaving a handprint.

I flip her around and spread her legs open so I can rest between her thighs.

"I would have given my entire fortune to kiss those lips that morning." I take her lips and kiss her roughly. I bite and suck on her bottom lip. "Do you know you bite your lip when you get nervous? You were biting your lip and looking everywhere but at me. I wanted to take that lip between my teeth just like this." I bite her bottom lip again, pulling at it before I put the entire thing in my mouth to suck.

"I knew you wanted me," I say as she blushes.

"Conceited," she says, batting her eyelashes.

"Perceptive."

"Hopeful," she throws back at me.

"Astute, baby. I could read your body each morning. I wanted to kiss you here," I say as I kiss her lips again. "And here." I kiss her collarbone. "Here." I kiss both breasts, sucking on each nipple.

I feel a sharp intake of breath as she wraps her legs around me.

"Here. And here," I say as I kiss her sternum and navel. "Most of all, here," I say as I spread her pussy lips apart and lick her clit."

"Oh, god, Christian," she says as she bucks underneath me. I pin her down as I lick her from clit to slit. I stick my tongue inside of her, driving her crazy. She throws her head back, arches her back and calls out my name over and over again.

"I thought about you coming on my face that first day I saw you," I say as continue to torture her pussy with my mouth. I finally bite down on her clit, and she comes on my face. "The taste of you, baby. You're delicious. Most of all that first morning, I wanted to give you this." I don't give her time to think. I crawl back on top of her, capture her mouth so that she can taste herself on my tongue. She sucks on my tongue hungrily, pulling it all the way into her mouth.

As she continues to suck on my tongue, I slide my hard dick into her waiting and wet pussy.

"Oh, god, baby. You feel so good. You were made for me," I say as I start to thrust into her heat.

"I was made for you, Christian."

"Say that to me again," I order as I continue to pound into her.

"I was made for you. I love you." I take her mouth again. I grab one of her legs, spreading it wider so I can go deeper, filling her all the way to the hilt. With our lips devouring each other, and my dick going in and out of her, I fuck her with everything in me.

I pour all of my strength and love into fucking her. I reach my hands underneath her and grab both ass cheeks, pushing her closer and me deeper.

I know she's about to go over the edge once she throws her head back and her body starts to shake.

She speaks, but her words make no sense. I thrust even harder until she finally crashes, screaming my name and telling me she loves me over and over again.

I collapse on top of her as my own orgasm follows hers. My mind goes blank as I spiral out of control, filing her fully with my seed.

With our bodies slick with sweat, I lay on top of her as we both attempt to catch our breath.

I slide out of her and pull her into my side. She slips an arm around me and lays her beautiful head on my chest. She moves her hand up and lays it on my chest, right above my heart.

I lean over and kiss the top of her messy head, pulling her even closer.

"You wanted to do all of that to me the first you saw me? And you call me filthy," she says, practically out of breath.

"I have zero regrets. Wait. That's not true. I regret waiting over three months to make you mine."

"Yeah, you should have made your move sooner, Grey." I tickle her ribs and she lets out a little yelp of surprise. She tries to move away from me, but I don't let her.

"You know I've always been a loner. I was happy to be by myself. I decided long ago that I didn't need anybody. But that all changed when we met, Christian. I've come to realize that as much as I love you, I need you just as much, and that was a hard concept for me to grasp. I think I knew from the beginning that I would need you, and that's why I didn't want to be with you. Needing you scared me more than loving you. I didn't want to need anybody, but it's too late now. I love and need you, Christian Grey."

I roll her on top of me and squeeze her body against mine.

"Those are the most beautiful words anyone has ever said to me. I love that you need me, and I need you too. You'll never have to be without me."

"God, we sound so pathetic," she says and we both laugh.

"Not pathetic, just needy," I say back.

She takes her hand and roams it all over my chest before she slowly moves it down until she reaches my dick.

"You want to know what I wanted to do to you that first day, and the days after? You want to know what you did to me every morning when you would show up in my line looking so fucking sexy in one of your designer suits? Let me show you," she says as she scoots down my body until her face is in front of my dick. My once flacid dick, which now standing at full attention.

"Oh, shit," I say as she takes me all the way to the back of her throat.

And that's how the night went. We stayed up until dawn worshipping each other and whispering words of love.

* * *

"You're the best fiancé I've ever had," I say as I kiss Ana's neck, and work my way up to her lips.

"I better be the only fiancé you've ever had, Grey," she says against my mouth. She puts both hands in my hair as I deepen the kiss.

"Will you two cut it out?" Ray says in fake irritation. "Are they like this all the time?" He asks Elliot.

"Yes!" Both Elliot and Kate say at once. "It's sickening." We ignore them both as we continue to kiss.

It turns out, Ray's not such a bad guy. He's great with the boys, and despite what went on during Ana's teen years, he loves his daughter. He took me aside and wanted confirmation that we weren't going to push him out of our lives. He only visibly relaxed when I assured him that I would never do that, and I know Ana wants him around.

Ray offered to grill for us on Saturday, and since I knew mom would be working that day, I called dad and asked him to join us. Ana was worried about the tension between our dads from her birthday party, but there was none of that as our dads, me, Taylor and Elliot talked fishing as Ray grilled and the ladies talked about wedding dresses.

"Are you guys sure it will be okay for me to come to this thing?" Rays asked.

The think he's referring to is our family brunch. I called Shana and asked if she could push the brunch back so Ana could come. Ana called her study group and moved her study group up one hour and invited them here instead of the WSU library. Apparently, no one turns down an invitation to Christian Grey's house.

"Of course, it's okay."

"Yup. We're all one big happy, dysfunctional family around here, Ray," Elliot says as he grabs EJ and lifts him up. "We're heading out there now. We'll see you guys over there."

"Give me a few minutes to change and we can go." Ana gives me one last kiss before she runs off to change, leaving me alone with her dad. Even though he spent the weekend with us, this is the first time we've been alone since that disaster on Friday.

"I'm glad I got to spend time with you two. She's so damn happy, so thanks for that. I really like your brother and Kate, too. "

"You're welcome anytime. Ana loves you, Ray. And to answer your questions from Friday, yes, I can and will be faithful to Ana, and I have been. You don't ever have to worry about that with me."

"I know that now." Before we can say anymore, Ana comes running into the room. She put her hair down and it's in soft waves around her shoulders. She's in a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, a loose top that ties in the front with a blaze thrown on top.

"You look beautiful. Come on." I take her hand, lead her into the garage. "I'm finally going to get to drive your car," I say as I open the passenger door to her Bentley.

Ray follows us in his truck since he's leaving for Montesano from my grandparent's house. Part of the reason I really want Ray here is so he can see how much my family, with the exception of Grace, loves Ana.

As soon as we walk into my grandparent's house, my grandmother engulfs me and Ana in a tight hug.

"My turn, Adelle. Move," my grandfather gently shoves her aside so he can hug us.

We hear champagne bottles popping and loud cheers from the rest of the family, which includes my parents, aunt, uncle, cousins, Mia, Elliot, Kate and the boys. I look around and even see Jose standing there behind my grandfather, waiting to hug Ana.

"What's this?" I ask.

"We heard the good news!" My grandmother says.

"How?" I ask dumbfounded. "We wanted to tell everyone ourselves."

"Christian, you know your father and Elliot can't keep a secret to save their lives." I look at dad and Elliot who avoid making any eye contact with me. I look to find Grace standing there in front of me. She has a small smile on her face, but her eyes are filled with tears. She's unsure of how to proceed. I know she wants to hug us but doesn't know if it will be welcome.

I count to ten, think back to what the shrink said about not openly rejecting her attempts at reconciliation. I look at my grandmother's expectant face, count to ten again. She opens her arms, and I step into the hug. She hugs me tight but is still careful of my touch issues. I feel her hot tears on my neck and I relax a little bit into the hug.

"I love you, son," she whispers in my ear.

"I know you do. I've always known that, but-." She stops me before I can say anymore.

"I know I've a lot to make up for. Just give me a chance to do it. Please," she begs, but before I can say anything, Elliot grabs me and gives me a bear hug. I almost laugh because I know that's his attempt at saving me from our mother.

"My turn!" Jose practically yells as he pulls Ana away from Shana and Mia and hugs her tight.

"Jose! How did you get here?" Ana asks.

"Your future mother in law called and invited me. No thanks to you and G-Money. I thought we were tight, guys. First, you celebrate on Friday without me and now you freeze me out of the Grey gathering," he says playfully. He lets go of Ana and hugs me too.

"You don't need an invitation from them, honey. You're welcome here anytime," my grandmother says to him.

"And that's why you're my new BFF, grandma T." Jose walks away and goes to talk to Ray.

For the next few minutes, everyone takes turns hugging and congratulating us, including Mia, who openly weeps on my shoulder as the rest of the family drinks champagne.

Carrick, Elliot and Theo pull Ray out into the yard so he can grill some steaks for us, and the women and Jose all shove Ana into the living room to talking about wedding plans.

I stand back and smile at the shrieks of laughter as my grandmother tells stories from when she planned her wedding to my grandfather.

"Gracie, go get my wedding album so I can show Ana and Kate." My mother runs to do grandmother's bidding. Once she hands over the album, she comes and stands next to me.

"This is all I've ever wanted for you, Christian. All I've ever wanted was for you to be happy."

"Well you certainly didn't act like it when I first brought Ana home, or when you accosted her in my office," I bite back, the memories bitter. This is the type of attack the therapist warned me against.

"I was so happy when your father told me the news. And then I was angry at myself because we no longer have the type of relationship where you would call and share the news with me immediately. I know that's my doing."

"Mother, please. Not now," I say dismissively.

"I know I have a lot to make up for. I want to help with the wedding. Will you at least let me do that?"

"We haven't talked any wedding details yet, and it's up to Ana if she wants that. I'm not going to insist that you be included, though. She's not comfortable with you." I refuse to spare her feelings. She needs to own her part in this.

She hangs her head for a minute. When she looks back up, her eyes are filled with tears.

"I understand, but I thought that-"

"You thought what?" I prod.

"I thought that since we had a talk when mother was in the hospital, she would be more comfortable around me."

"What talk?" I ask. "Please tell me you didn't say anything else to offend her."

"No, of course not. She comforted me, actually. I was in a bad place and she made me see that not everything was hopeless." Grace tells me the rest of the conversation between her and Ana.

"She said that? She never told me," I say, in awe of my fiancé's heart.

"I'm not surprised. Look, Christian. I was wrong about all of it. I was embarrassed by what happened a year ago, and I handled it all wrong. I failed you when you needed me the most and I have to live with that. I'm just asking you for the opportunity to fix things between us. I know it's more than I deserve, but please think about it." She plants a soft kiss on my cheek and walks into the kitchen to prepare some of the side dishes for lunch.

"Oh, my god, you looked so beautiful," Ana says as she looks at what I presume is my grandmother's wedding album.

"I still have that dress."

"It's beautiful. And timeless," Ana says wistfully.

"It's yours if you want it, honey. You can get it altered any way you want."

"Um, no, grandma. Ana, we can get you something custom made. Vera Wang or Monique Lhuillier are it!" I shake my head as an argument ensues between Mia, Jose and Shana about who makes the best wedding dresses.

"Are you crazy, Mia. She'd drown in a ball gown. I was thinking more of a mermaid style," Jose says.

"Let's watch my wedding video," Shana says as she pulls out an iPad. I pour myself some more champagne as I continue to watch them.

"Ana, you should totally get married there! Look at that view," Jose says.

"You were a beautiful bride, Shana. Wow," Ana says in awe. "And there's Christian! You look so deep in thought, baby. What were you thinking about?"

"You. I spent the entire weekend thinking about you and how I wish you were there with me." And cue the blush.

The guys come walking back inside, laughing at something Elliot just said.

"How did you propose, honey?" Adelle asks.

"I wasn't going to propose then. The ring's not even ready yet. I had a horrible day on Friday and we got into a huge fight. I was a bit of a jerk."

"Oh, you were more than just a jerk," Ana says without even looking up from the iPad.

"I was a bit put off by some stuff that happened earlier that day. Ana left and went to Gail and Jason's, and I followed her. I apologized for my bad behavior and she forgave me. She looked so beautiful standing there, and I just couldn't wait another second to ask her. I told her all about the proposal I had planned. The one with the diamond ring and fireworks, and she told me she didn't need all of those things. So, I asked, and she said yes."

"Oh my god," Jose says as he wipes tears from his eyes.

"That's beautiful, Christian."

"I told you I was easy," Ana says to me.

"Not that easy. You made me wait for months," I say to her.

"That's my girl!" My grandmother yells out.

"I did not make you wait for months. How was I supposed to know you were interested in me? I thought you were coming to the café every morning because you liked my muffins."

"He liked your buns too," Elliot yells out, and everyone laughs.

"Her father's still in the room, Elliot," Ray says, and Elliot just shrugs.

"Let's get back to wedding talk," Shana says. "When and where? Have you guys set a date yet?"

"Uh, we haven't talked about any of that yet? Maybe we can elope?" She says looking at me. Everyone gives her a horrified look and pretend they didn't hear that suggestion.

"When am I going to get a new great grandbaby? Shana, that question goes to you, too. We need a girl." This from Adelle.

"And the engagement party. Ana, focus!" Mia says. "First we need a date so we can decide on a dress. Oh, and dad, can you call your friend at the Four Seasons to see if we can get a space there to throw the engagement party? Ana where are we going to have this wedding? Seattle or elsewhere?" And the chatter continues. Everyone throws questions at Ana at once, and no one waits for her to answer. They just continue to talk over each other.

Ana slips out of the sofa and walks outside, but nobody notices as they continue to argue wedding details.

I follow her outside and slip my arms around her. I lay my head on her chin as we both admire the view of the sound from my grandparents' patio.

She leans into me, but she doesn't speak.

"You okay, baby? Are they too much for you?"

"I'm fine. No. I love how excited they are, but I didn't expect them to throw so many questions at me all at once. I've been so happy celebrating our engagement that I haven't given the wedding much thought." I hear her sigh, and I know that there's more to it than that.

"If you're serious about eloping, we can be married tomorrow." I mean it.

"That sounds very appealing. I just don't know if I can-," she pauses as if she's searching for her next words. "Never mind."

"If you can what?" I turn her around to look at me. "What is it?" Whatever it is, I know she's not having second thoughts about marrying me.

"If I can be Mrs. Grey. I don't know if you know this, but you're kind of a big deal. Everyone in there is talking about couture wedding dresses and naming designers I've never even heard of. An engagement party at the Four Seasons. Social events. A press release about our engagement. I'll probably have to be on boards and run charities. All of those things will be expected of me." I start to speak but she puts her fingers on my lips to silence me. "And I want to do those things, I really do. I want to make you so proud of me, but I don't know how to do them. I've always been happy in my own skin and with who I am, but now I feel like I'm going to embarrass you somehow."

I pull her close and envelope her in my arms.

"You can never embarrass me, and your role as my wife can be whatever you want it to be. I never gave a damn about what's expected of me, and I would never want to force you to do anything you're not comfortable with."

"You don't understand. I want to do those things and I want to be comfortable doing them. I just don't know how to do them or where I'd even start. It sounds stupid when I say it out loud," she says, exasperated. "Maybe there's a course I can sign up for at WSU. How to be a high society wife." She starts to laugh, but I'm not sure the laughter is genuine.

"Are you serious about eloping?" I ask. Maybe she's just nervous about planning a wedding.

"What do you want? It's going to be your wedding too."

"I want whatever will make you happy, but I would love to stand at the altar and watch you walk towards me in a wedding gown. I'd want us to write our own vows and say them in front of our family and friends. I want a first dance as husband and wife. I want to hear whatever ridiculous speech Elliot will give. I want to feed you wedding cake and champagne before I whisk you off to our honeymoon. That's what I want." I lean down and give her a peck on the lips.

"Then that's what we'll have. I want those things too."

"You can get as many wedding planners as you want. My grandmother will help. She practically planned Shana's wedding on her own. Mia, Kate, Shana and Jose will help as well. Grace is so desperate to make amends she'd do whatever-,"

"Stop. I don't want to talk about your mother, but I'd love to have everyone else help."

"Fair enough. What else? I know there's more."

"It's nothing," she says.

"Don't do that, Ana. We promised each other open communication."

"I just felt so alone in there."

"What?" I ask, dumfounded and a little hurt.

"Let me explain. I love how excited everyone is for us. Can you imagine how crazy your mom is going to get when Mia gets engaged? All the planning and time your mom will dedicate to her. I wish I had that. I miss having a mom, Christian. The sad thing is, I don't even know if my mother would even want to be a part of this if she were still alive. She never had much interest in me before, but there's a part of me who likes to imagine. I have this fantasy in my head that if I'd agreed to have dinner with her that night, she'd still be here, and she'd be so excited about this and we would do all of the typical mother daughter things. I imagine us going dress shopping, even arguing when she wants me to get some ridiculous ball gown that will swallow me up. I picture her at the wedding making a fuss. It's silly given our history, but I wish I had that. And then I feel so selfish because I have you and all I can do is bitch and moan about what I don't have." She casts her eyes down and I tilt her chin, forcing her to look at me again. "I'm so happy, Christian. I love you so much. And I want you to stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Thinking about ways you can solve my problems. I don't want you to fix them, just to listen."

"You know me so well. I can't fix the Carla issue, but I think if she were still here, she'd be in my grandmother's living room fighting with the rest of our entourage. And as for the rest, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. You're perfect to me the way you are. If you don't ever want to be on any boards or head any charities, you don't have to. Since you said you want to, my grandmother will take you under her wing, but only if that's really what you want, not what you think I want. Okay?" I kiss the top of her head, both cheeks and finally her lips.

"Okay. I'm just being silly."

"No, you're not. Some wise ass once told me not to ever trivialize my feelings. I'm giving you the same advice."

She lays her head on my chest and we stand quietly for several minutes, just holding each other until we hear a throat clearing.

"Brunch is served." I turn around to see my mother standing there. She's eyeing Ana and I'm left wondering how much of our conversation she overheard.

"We'll be right there," I say to her.

"Hurry up. Jose and Mia are about to kill each other. They can't agree on where to have the wedding." Grace walks back inside and I look down at Ana, and we both start to laugh.

"Why is Mia acting like she's not on my shit list?" I ask Ana as I take her hand and lead her back inside.

"I've known Ana longer than you, Mia. She would not want to get married at a hotel, no matter how glitzy. She'd want something personal. Something that means something to her." Jose makes a good point about Ana. I tune Mia out as she goes on and on about the perks of getting married at the Ritz Carlton.

"He's got you there, Mia," Ray says.

I need to take control of this now.

"Enough, Mia. Baby, when do you want to do this? I don't want to wait, so it will have to be soon."

"Um, summer?"

"Nope. Not waiting that long. And I'm not waiting until spring either."

"Winter wonderland! It will be so beautiful." Everyone else agrees as they start another conversation about a winter wedding.

"Winter wonderland it is. Let's eat. We can talk wedding later. Shana, can you give us the name of your wedding planner? Grandma, you're in charge of keeping the wedding planner in check."

"I want to be in charge of helping Ana pick out a dress," Jose chimes in. Shana, Mia and Kate all jump on board.

"Where, kids?" Carrick asks, and I look to Ana.

"We fell in love in Seattle so I want to have it here." Everyone else is in agreement, not that it matters.

"You'll have to decide on caterers. If you use my wedding planner, she can make some incredible recommendations."

"I'd like to help with that, if I may. I know some wonderful local caterers and I can help find a location in Seattle for the ceremony. We can set tents on our property. There are so many things we can do for a winter wedding." The room is filled with silence as everyone looks from Ana to Grace, waiting for an answer.

"Listen, Dr. Trevelyan," Ana begins, but Grace talks over her.

"Please. I'd really like to do this."

 **A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Our couple is on their way to that HEA, and Grace actually reached out to Jose and invited him to brunch! Thank you guys for sticking with me throughout this story. More coming up soon. Laters!**


	27. Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27

ALL CREDIT TO ELJ

ANA

"Holy shit! Let me see that," Jose says as he grabs my hand and examines the diamond ring on my left ring finger. He holds it up to his eye, then moves away only to bring it back in. He lets out a long whistle as he twirls the ring around my finger. "How many carats is that?" I shrug in response.

"Don't know," I say as I admire my ring. That's a lie. I do know. It's a five a half platinum cushion cut solitaire. Christian confessed he wanted to get me a bigger diamond, but because I have such small hands, this size is a much better fit.

"Take it off and let me try it on. I think it will fit on my pinky."

"No way! Your fingers are like sausages," I say to him. He pushes my hand away as if he's offended by my words.

"It's gorgeous, girl. The pictures you sent last night don't do it justice. Did he get on one knee this time?"

"Maybe," I say.

"Spill the damn beans, Ana, while things are quiet around here."

"Fine." I jump up on the counter in the coffee shop as Jose starts prepping for the lunch rush. "He had dinner catered and since it was such a beautiful night, we ate out in the meadow. The ring was under the dessert dome plate. He got on one knee, and said some beautiful words, but I was crying so much I can't remember what he said. Oh, and there were fireworks. Ana loves Christian was written in fireworks."

"Insane. That man is insane. I expect you to name your first child after me since you only met him because of me."

"Whatever. Enough with the baby talk, okay. I hear enough of it from his grandmother. Anyway, I have classes, so I'll see you this afternoon for the fitting. Do I need to pick you up or will you meet us there?"

All dress fittings are taking place at the Trevelyan household since we're having our ceremony at the family church not too far away. All the women will get ready at Grandma Trevelyan's house, while the men prepare at Elliot's place. Our reception will be at the place where our relationship really began, Christian's meadow, which is now my meadow too.

"Yes, I need you to pick my ass up. You think I'm not going to use every opportunity to ride in that damn Bentley?"

I jump off the counter and grab my bag and jacket.

"Fine. The appointment's at three, so I'll be back to get you around two." I wave to him and walk out only to find Prescott, Sawyer and Ryan waiting for me.

Since we announced our engagement yesterday, he's added a third bodyguard, which I think is ridiculous, but I just let him do what he needs to do to feel secure. The only issue we've had is that the media keeps showing clips of the old interviews, but we expected that to happen.

I still have a few minutes before I have to leave for campus, so I take the elevator to the twentieth floor, wave at Andrea and walk right to his office.

"Hey future husband." He looks up from his computer and smiles at me, indicating he's on a call. I walk over and sit on his lap and wait for him to finish talking. After several minutes with him on the phone, I point to my watch and motion for him to wrap it up.

"You are very distracting," he says once he ends the call. To tease him, I wiggle my ass over his dick, and I'm rewarded with a moan. I let out a loud laugh. "And what are you laughing at?" He asks as he nibbles on my neck.

"The fact that you're mine and I have this crazy effect on you. I mean, I'm not exactly a seductress. And I'm laughing at the fact that Christian Grey, America's most eligible bachelor, is crazy about me. _Me_. That's nuts," I say to him right before I grab his face and slam his mouth on mine. I kiss him fully and deeply, taking his tongue in my mouth and tasting all of him. He grabs the back of my head and, as he deepens the kiss even more, I feel him harden underneath me.

"Ana you have no idea how sexy you are, and that makes you even sexier. You're my seductress and my bachelor status ended the day I laid eyes on you."

"Oh, Mr. Grey. I love you so much." I give him one last kiss before getting up from his lap.

"You're just going to leave? What about this?" He asks, pointing to his very prominent erection.

"I'll take care of you tonight. Maybe Sir can come out and play?" Just to tease him, I bite my lower lip.

"Sir is going to be in a punishing mood."

I grab him by his tie and pull him to me.

"I can take whatever Sir dishes out. I'm a big girl."

"Indeed, you are. Now, go before I keep you here all afternoon." I start to walk about, but he grabs my wrist and pulls me to him. "I love you. And I'll be late. We're having a family session tonight. Should be fun," he says sarcastically.

"I love you too. I'll see you later." One last kiss and I'm out of his office and being escorted out of the building by my bodyguards. Ryan opens the back door for me and I get inside the Bentley. He drives, Prescott rides shotgun and Sawyer follows us in his own vehicle.

I lay my head on the headrest and think about the last few days and all the plans for this wedding and the events at brunch on Sunday.

BRUNCH THE PREVIOUS SUNDAY

" _Please, Ana. Let me help."_

" _Listen, Dr. Trevelyan," I began only to be interrupted by Adelle._

" _What's with this doctor nonsense. Her name is Grace! Call her Grace, Ana," Adelle Trevelyan said in irritation, though I'm not sure if she's irritated at me or her daughter._

" _It's okay, mom. I'm the one who told her to call me Dr. Trevelyan. I would like to say something."_

" _Mother, enough. We're not doing this right now. You made your bed," Christian says to her._

" _Part of my therapy, Christian, is that I have to own what I did."_

" _Grace, maybe now is just not the time. Part of your therapy is not forcing yourself on people," Carrick says. To take the sting out of his words, he lays his hand on top of hers._

" _I really want Gail to help me with the food, but do we have to do this now, Dr. Trevelyan? Please." I say._

" _Okay," she capitulates. "I won't say another word. This isn't the time and it's not about me."_

" _You know what? After we eat, why don't we go find my wedding dress and have Ana try it on. Shana and Mia, when you two are done eating, go find it. Shana knows where it is. I took it out of storage so she could try it on for her first wedding, and I haven't sent it back yet."_

" _You don't have to do that, Adelle. You should save it for Mia," I say._

" _Um, no. I want something custom made. Mom and I are going to Paris to look for my dress, right mom?"_

" _You might try getting a date first, Mia," Elliot says with a snort. Theo starts to laugh, and soon everyone is laughing, even Mia._

" _See how much you know, Elliot. I happen to have a date in a few hours. You might know him, Kate. His name is Ethan. Let's go get that dress, Shana," Mia says. Kate, who is probably desperate for more details, gets up and follows Mia and Shana upstairs._

 _We continue to eat while Theo and Adelle entertain us with stories of their wedding. Even Carrick tells us about his wedding day, and how he was so hungover he could barely stand at the altar, which got him an angry glare from Grace._

" _Don't remind me about that, Carrick," Grace says._

" _We found it. Come on, Ana!" I hear Shana shout from the top of the stairs. Adelle quickly stands up and gestures for me to follow her._

" _I just ate, Shana. I don't know," but my protests go on deaf ears as Adelle and Shana's mom, who's name I can't even remember, grab my hands and pull me up. When Christian gets up to follow me, Adelle stops him._

" _Not you." She points her index finger at his chair telling him to sit down._

" _Sit down, Christian," Grace says as she follows along too. I resist the urge to roll my eyes at her because I certainly didn't invite her to come watch, but realizing I can't do that at her mother's house, I resist._

 _Minutes later, I'm in a vintage lace fitted wedding gown with long sleeves and a scoop neck. Grandma Trevelyan is about three inches taller than I am, so the dress hangs on my frame quite a bit, but there's no denying how beautiful it is._

" _You can alter it however you want, if you want to wear it. There's no pressure, honey, but it's beautiful on you." Everyone agrees. Grace stands back and just watches._

" _I love it, but I'd want something sleeveless and with more of a V neckline, and they'd have to cut a lot because of our height difference. Are you sure about this?" Adelle just nods as she adjusts the dress on me._

" _I know someone who can do any alterations you want, Ana."_

" _You know, honey, I had this made just for me. It's special because Theo's mother was a seamstress and she designed and made this dress to welcome me into their family. She was an amazing woman and I'm so happy you want to wear it. Grace didn't want to wear it and neither did Shana, but I don't think it would have worked for them. This is more our style." She smiles at me through the mirror, and my eyes suddenly fill with tears. We look at each other through the mirror and she grabs one of my hands and kisses it. "I'm here for you, Ana."_

 _We spent about an hour talking about the dress. Grace, with my permission, makes a phone call and minutes later, I have an appointment with a seamstress in two days. They even agreed to come to Adelle's house to meet with me._

" _Wow, this is gorgeous," Mia says. "Ana, you're going to need something looser to wear for the reception."_

 _I continued to look at my reflection in the mirror as the other women all talked around me. All I could think about was Christian seeing me for the first time in my wedding dress. I can already see the look of love and adoration in his eyes, and my own eyes fill with tears._

 _Adelle puts her hands on my shoulders and smiles at me through the mirror._

" _He' won't be able to contain himself when he sees you."_

I'm brought out of my revelry when I realize I've arrived on campus. We park and make the short walk to my class.

Prescott and Ryan escort me to the cafeteria after my first class for lunch. As always, heads turn towards us, but I ignore the looks and the whispers and continue my walk.

"Ms. Steele," Ryan whispers. "Grace Grey is on campus. She's following us."

"I know the Greys are involved with this school. She's probably hear for a fund raiser. Let's just go." Ryan nods but I notice that Prescott is texting to someone on her phone.

The three of us grab lunch and find a table. Before I can take a taste of my soup, someone sits down with us. I look up only to find Grace Grey at the table.

I put my soup spoon back in the bowl and look at her. She's eloquently dressed as usual. She's in a navy blue pantsuit with a white shirt underneath. Every hair is in place and her makeup is flawless.

"Hi, Ana. I had a meeting on campus and saw you here. Thought we could talk." I let out a frustrated breath. I should have known this woman would find a way to get to me, but I just didn't anticipate it would be this soon. I ask Ryan and Prescott to give us some privacy and the move one table over.

Within one minute, my phone vibrates.

"Hey, Christian," I say to him.

"What the fuck does she want?"

"I don't know. She just got here." I look over at Ryan who smiles at me sheepishly.

"Put her on. I'll tell her to get lost."

"No, don't do that. I want to hear this," I say as I look at Grace in the eye. She holds my stare.

"Put her on the phone, baby." I had her the phone and listen to the one sided conversation of Grace trying to explain herself. She hands me back the phone but makes no moves to leave.

"Hey," I say, eyeing her.

"If she says one thing out of line, you leave, okay?"

"Will do," I say before we end the call.

"Let's get on with it, Dr. Trevelyan. I have class in thirty minutes."

"I lied. I didn't have a meeting here, but I know you have classes today so I figured I'd track you down," she explains quickly.

"What is this about? You're upset about me wearing your mother's dress? You still think I want your son just for his money? What have I done now?" I ask, losing my appetite completely.

"Nothing like that. I want to apologize to you for the things I said when Christian first brought you over, and especially for what I said to you that day in his office. I'm not here to make excuses, but I was so angry at him for what I thought he did to our family. Deep down, I thought I had failed him as a mother, but I took all of my disappointment in myself out on him and on Elliot too. I'm in therapy working through it all, and part of that is making amends to the people I've hurt. I'm asking that you give me a chance and get to know me, Ana. Please. Let me help you with the wedding, at least." She reaches across the table and grabs both of my hands in a vice like grip.

"The worst thing you could have ever done was bring my mother into this. I would have forgiven the other stuff. In fact, I do. I think you know now that I love your son, but you went too far when you brought up Carla. You spoke to my asshole uncle. You used some very painful things against me. You have no idea about the relationship I had with my mother. You're so lucky because your own mother is amazing, and despite your actions this past year, you once had good relationships with your sons. You don't know what it's like to be treated as an inconvenience by your parents, and I honestly don't want to get into it with you. Suffice to say it hurts and she's gone now, and despite what everyone says, I feel responsible. If I had forgiven her sooner, she might still be here. So for you to say that I benefited when she died is the most vile thing you could have ever said to me."

"I didn't know about any of that, Ana. And it's not an excuse and it doesn't erase my behavior. I did horrible things and said even worse things. I know that, and I own it. No excuses. I'm in therapy and it's helped me a lot, but I know I have only just scratched the surface. I'm only asking that you keep an open heart when it comes to me. I'm not going to give up on my sons and I'm not going to give up on you either."

"I don't want you to give up on Christian. He loves you, and I know he misses you. He needs you." She squeezes my hand again and dabs the tears from her eyes.

"I overheard what you said to him about you missing your mother the other day."

"You overhear a lot," I say, and for the first time since this conversation started, I laugh and so does Grace.

"Don't get upset with me, but I reached out to Ray and asked him if he had any wedding photos of him and your mom. He sent me this." She pulls out a photo of Ray and Carla standing together in front of the church where they got married. Ray is holding me in his arms, but he and Carla are looking up at each other smiling.

Tears start to roll down my cheeks as I look at Carla, who looks just like me, in a simple white dress and long veil.

"I haven't seen this in years," I say through my tears. "I don't understand why you would want this."

"I had this idea. Her veil would go perfectly with your dress. It will need some alterations and will need to be dyed, but I thought this would be a good way to honor her and a way for you to feel as if she's with you. We can also light a candle and say a prayer for her. They're just ideas, of course. We can do whatever you want," she explains quickly.

I swipe away at more tears and she hands me a handkerchief.

"Why, Dr. Trevelyan? Why are you doing this? You made your feelings about me perfectly clear, so what is this all about? Is this some kind of trick?" I ask.

"No, Ana. I know this won't erase the things I said, and I know I have a long way to go to prove myself, but all I ask is the opportunity to try."

"But why now? You can't expect me to believe that you've had this miraculous change of heart overnight."

"My issues were never with you, Ana. I just took it out on you. You have no idea how ashamed I am. My family is in pieces because of me, and I want to fix the mess I made. Look, I've watched you with my son, and even on that first day, I knew you were special. And I was jealous because you came in and gave my son the peace that Carrick and I never could. A good mom would have been happy for him, but I was a shitty parent for a long time. I see that and believe it or not you've helped me so much. That day in the hospital, do you remember what you said to me?" I think back, and just shrug my shoulders.

"You told me everyone was still here, and I still had time. I'm not going to waste it. You may not believe me, but I love my children. And whether you want to be or not, you'll be one of my kids too, and I want us to have a good relationship. It will take time, but please just give me the chance. That's all I ask." She releases my hand to wipe the tears that had filled her eyes. I pick up the picture again and look at Carla's young face.

"Can we actually do that? I don't even know if this is still around and it's the wrong color. I think her dress was ivory, not a pristine white. And won't it be bad luck? They didn't exactly have a great marriage."

"I checked with Ray. He says it's in the attic. And we can dye it. We can add to it so it can match your dress, but we can keep most of it as original. It's doable. And no, it's not bad luck. Marriage is what we make of it. Only you and Christian will define your marriage, no one else."

"I actually love the idea. Thank you. I'll ask my dad to bring it." For the first time, she gives me a genuine smile. If I had met this version of Grace Grey that first day, things would be so different now.

"Thank you for listening to me. I'll let you finish your lunch so you can head off to your next class." I hand her back the picture, which she folds and puts back in her purse.

"Even with the wedding planner and Adelle, I'm in way over my head. I never thought I'd ever get married, and now I'm marrying Christian Grey. So much for well laid plans, "I babble. I gently bite my tongue to stop my word vomit.

"We make plans and God laughs. Don't worry about a thing."

* * *

"How did things go today with the dress and everything?" Christian asks me that night as we both lay naked, spent from our lovemaking. I'm laying on my stomach with my face turned towards him as he lays on his side, his hand gently rubbing my stinging ass.

"Really good. I don't know how your mom did it, but my mother's veil was there by the time I got to your grandmother's. It's going to need some work since it wasn't preserved like it should have been. It's kind of discolored but I was told that's an easy fix. God, that feels good," I say as he continues caress my skin. "How was therapy?"

"I had it out with Mia. Mom cried because she blames herself. It was a regular good ol' time," he says sarcastically. "Then Elliot had it out with mom _and_ dad. He went off on dad for enabling her. Then, I threatened to stop coming to therapy since we're beyond fixing. I was a total shit show, baby."

"Sounds horrible."

"Well, it got better from there. The therapist reined us in. Instead of yelling, we addressed the person directly without all the name calling. Our homework this week is to write a letter to the family, which we're going to read out loud next time. I'm just going to have Andrea write mine," he says with a derisive snort.

"I don't think that's how it works," I tell him.

"Tell me about it."

"I think we're crazy for planning a wedding two days before Christmas. We're crazy, right? We both work. I go to school full time and we're planning a wedding. Maybe we should post-," he stops me before I can go any further.

"Don't even finish that sentence. It's going to be perfect. Just hire whoever you want."

"I know. Everyone is helping, but it's so expensive, Christian. There's an extra charge for everything because we need everything rushed. And nobody in your family seems to care about how much things cost. It's crazy."

"We can afford it, baby. Don't worry about it. Just use your card."

"That's the Grey family mantra," I say jokingly.

"You haven't told me about your talk with Grace. She arrived at therapy practically giddy so I'm guessing it was good."

"It wasn't painful. She had this idea for me to use my mom's wedding veil with my dress. And I don't know how she did it, but that veil was at your grandmother's by the time I arrived to meet the seamstress." I tell Christian about the rest of my talk with Grace.

"Baby, I'm not putting any pressure on you to make peace with Grace. Don't think you have to do this to make me happy. I will always choose you over everyone else." I role over and cuddle into this side.

"I don't think she and I will ever be friends, but I said I'd be civil. Do you know we have three different caterer's coming here tomorrow for us to choose from. I told your mom she can help Gail choose which caterers to send over, so I really pawned her off on Gail. I'm awful, huh?"

"You're perfect and I can't wait to marry you."

"Well, you might be broke by the time this wedding takes place. Do you know that they want me to get a second dress for the reception? And they want all of us to go to New York to get something. Crazy, right?"

"I heard. I think it's a great idea. In fact, we should all go. We're only getting married once, baby. We're going to do it big. No limits and no budget. You can invite everyone at WSU and we'll make it happen. I just want the night to end with you as my wife so I can whisk you away. I'm locking you away until Christmas."

"Sounds nice," I say as I cuddle into him even closer.

As busy as we're going to be, we've already made all the major decisions on our wedding. We're spending the two days after our wedding at the Presidential Suite at the Ritz Carlton, Christmas day with the Greys and Ray, and we're off to an undisclosed tropical paradise for our honeymoon the day after Christmas.

"I knew I wanted you the minute I saw you, but that day when you came here for Gail's shower, I knew you were meant to be mine forever. I've craved you since day one, Ana. I'm honored you chose me."

"It wasn't a choice, Christian. It was destiny."

 **A/N: Thank you all so much for going on this journey with our favorite couple. To everyone who took the time to review, THANK YOU! I have the epilogue coming up soon.**


	28. Chapter 28

EPILOGUE

ALL CREDIT TO ELJ

CHRISTIAN

"I'm going to kill Elliot and bury his body next to our mother's," I mutter to myself as I stand in front of the stove. I hear my audience snicker behind me, but I choose to ignore them for now.

"This is disgusting. There are raw eggs in here. You expect me touch raw eggs, Ana? We just got back from our honeymoon and you want to expose me to salmonella. What kind of woman did I marry?" I say dramatically. Instead of snickering, I get full on laughter this time.

"The kind who is naïve enough to marry a liar," my beautiful wife says to me. "Breakfast is more my specialty," she says trying to imitate my voice. "I married you under false pretenses. You're lucky I don't file for an annulment."

I go back to staring at the concoction in front of me. Elliot and his damn big mouth. I think back to the incredible toast he made at our wedding. He talked about meeting Ana for the first time and how all I did that day at Gail and Taylor's shower was stare at her. He talked about the irony of me finding the sweetest woman on earth. Then he opened his big, fat mouth and put his foot in it.

" _Now if anyone knows Christian, you know that he's not even capable of making toast without practically burning down the house. Remember how he almost set your kitchen on fire mom?"_

" _Which time?" Grace yelled back, eliciting laughter from everyone, including myself and even Ana._

" _My point exactly! Now, one morning, I call him at home and he puts me on speaker. When I asked Ana what they were doing," I whip my head towards him, giving him the universal sign of shut the fuck up, but he ignored me. "Ana says they are eating the breakfast that Christian made for them. As you can imagine, he immediately took me off speaker after she made that declaration." Everyone laughs, and Ana turns to me in shock._

" _Ana, sweetheart, my brother couldn't cook you breakfast if his life depended on it."_

" _Wait! He's cooked for me twice. Where did that French toast come from, Christian?" She asks, directing her gaze onto me. I decide right then and there that if I'm going down, I'm taking my accomplices with me._

" _Gail made it and Taylor helped," I quickly confess. All of our guests are laughing as they look on._

" _Boss! You snitch!" Taylor says._

" _Gail, how could you?" Ana says jokingly._

" _Sweetie, we were going to get the boss the girl no matter what!"_

" _And what about the other time you cooked me breakfast? Gail and Jason were on their honeymoon."_

" _I threatened to fire Sawyer unless he cooked a breakfast worthy of you." Sawyer, who was an invited guest at the wedding, pretends to hide behind his date, eliciting more laughter._

" _Oh my god! What else did you lie about?"_

" _That's it. I promise. At least I think that's it. Right, Taylor?" I ask looking over at him._

" _Don't drag me further into this, boss."_

" _You want to know what I learned that day?" Elliot continues once the laughter dies down. "That Christian Grey, the west coast's most eligible bachelor."_

" _Former bachelor," my blushing bride says. Everyone claps at that, and I lean over and kiss her on the mouth._

" _Excuse me, the former bachelor, is just like the rest of us. He's not above lying to impress a girl. And just like in business, his instincts in women proved right. He found the perfect woman for him. She not only loves him, she supports him in every way. Do you know what he told me at his bachelor party? That he was struck by cupid's arrow on a rainy Monday at the last day of March. And he wasn't even drunk when he said it! And now we know he's lame too." More laughter._

" _Guys, I'm so happy about my new sister, I don't know what to do with myself. She's not just perfect for Christian, she's perfect for our entire family, because who else would put up with all of our dysfunction?" More laughter ensues, and my mother has the grace to flush and hide her face behind her hands._

"You have to turn on the oven, boss?" Taylor says.

"How do you run an empire, dude?" Elliot asks.

"Because Ros does most of the work," my dad retorts and I get more snickers.

"Uncle Chrissy, we hungry! Hurry up!" EJ yells.

"Hurry!" I guess Jackson agrees.

"Leave my big brother alone," Mia says, getting up. "I'll help you, Christian."

"Thanks, Meems. You're the only one who loves me," I say, turning around and giving my wife the stink eye.

"Come on, Christian. Let's show them what you got, son." My mom steps from her seat around the breakfast bar and joins me and Mia. "Don't let my money go to waste."

I roll my eyes at her because this is partially her fault. Two days after our wedding, Ana and I joined my family and Ray at my parent's house to celebrate Christmas where my mother gifted me with cooking lessons, which is about the worst gift anyone has ever given me.

Together, my mother, Mia and I cooked French toast for our family.

"For you, wife," I say as I put Ana's plate in front of her. "Don't give any to Elliot, Jason or Gail, mom. They threw me under the bus." They all ignore me as they make a beeline for the food.

Ana leans over to give me a kiss, but I move my head.

"I don't know if you deserve that, Mrs. Grey," I say as I start to eat. I reach into her plate and feed her a bit.

"So good," she says, giving me that look that goes straight to my cock. "And don't think I didn't notice that your mom and Mia did all the work while you just stood there. This isn't over, Grey. You're cooking again for me tomorrow."

* * *

2.5 MONTHS SINCE THE WEDDING

"I would appreciate it if you wouldn't ignore me in my own damn office, Mrs. Grey!" I say as I throw a pen across my desk.

Ana continues to stare at her laptop, tying furiously and ignoring me completely, which I hate.

This is our first fight since we got married almost three months ago, and I'm completely in the wrong, though I'll go to my grave without ever admitting that little fact.

I get up and cross my office in three angry strides and slam her laptop shut. I'm eager to get this fight over with by the time we get home so we can eat dinner, make love and soak in the tub, in that order.

"I said don't ignore me in my damn office," I hiss. She finally turns her gaze on me, and a smaller man would have run for cover, but I'm not a small man. I stand there, arms crossed, waiting her response.

"Everything that is mine is now yours," she says, imitating my voice and throwing back my wedding vows in my face. "Technically, this is my office now so back off before I have you thrown out."

I let out a loud snort at her audacity.

"Oh, really? Are you going to call Taylor and have him escort me out?"

She finally stands up, puts her hands on her hips and faces me.

"The way I'm feeling right now, I won't need Jason! How could you do this to me! How would you feel if I started putting my nose in how you run your business?"

"I'd love it. You can come work with me anytime you want."

"Yeah, right, Christian Grey!"

"And you're my wife so you're my business. I did nothing wrong!" That's the biggest lie I told this year, but it's only March.

"You went behind my back and offered them a bribe!" She yells.

"A bribe? You make me sound like some corrupt government official. All I did was make sure my wife got what she wanted. You told me this school was your first choice, so I made it happen. You won't get an apology out of me, Anastasia Grey!"

"Oh, you never apologize for anything, do you?"

"I apologize when I'm wrong, but that hasn't happened yet." I almost want to take a step back from the angry look that response gets me, but I don't. I just continue to dig a deeper grave for myself. "Get used to it!"

Ana interviewed at three middle schools last month, and when she mentioned a certain school was her first choice, I made a very small donation of half a million dollars to said school. I never said they had to hire her because of my donation, but the principal was no fool. He knew exactly what I meant. She was thrilled when she got the job, and she never would have found out if the idiots didn't send a fucking fruit basket to my office thanking me for my generous donation. When Ana saw the card, she put two and two together.

Before she can give me a scathing response, my office door opens and in walks our entire damn family, including Ray and Jose, who has become quite chummy with my father and grandfather.

When Ana sees everyone, she grabs her laptop, angrily shoving it into her Hermes bag.

Dad, grandpa, Elliot, Jose, Ray and I are going to my dad's country club for lunch, and the ladies (Ana, Kate, mom, Mia and Gail) are going to lunch at the Mile High before going shopping since Ana and I leave for our trip to China tomorrow. I smile when I remember the morning when I basically told her she'd be coming with me on this trip. And god damn it, I made it happen. And she's going as my wife, not my girlfriend. Damn, I'm good!

"Let's go, ladies," Ana says. "Let's eat and shop, but you might be going to China by yourself tomorrow, Mr. Grey."

I let out a laugh so loud, I inadvertently snort.

"I don't think so, wife. I told you months ago that you'd be coming with me on this trip."

"Oh, I remember that morning," Jose cackles.

"Oh, dear. What did you do, Christian?" Grace asks. I roll my eyes at her. Ana is by no means a huge fan of Grace, but she tries, and so does Grace. Once we got married, the family therapist asked that Ana join us for some sessions. Once there, she told Grace how she made her feel, but said she's willing to focus on the future. She told everyone that she knows I love my mom, and since she loves me, she would do her best to move forward, and she's done that. But that's not enough for Grace. She goes out of her way to get closer to Ana, including planning this girl's afternoon. And I guess this means she'll be taking Ana's side in any arguments that I have with her.

"Oh, mother, please. You're so obvious. And what makes you think it's my fault?"

"Because we know you. And we know Ana's a damn saint to put up with you," Elliot says drolly.

"I disagree, Elliot. I've known Ana a lot longer. I bet this is her fault," Jose chimes in.

"It is not, you traitor! Listen to what he did!" Ana tells them the entire sordid detail. The women all turn angry glares at me, but the men all shrug.

"See? I was right. This is Ana's fault. Is G-Money wrong for loving you and giving you whatever you want in life? You want him to apologize for getting you your dream job? Pfft. You have rich girl problems now, gurl!" All the men nod.

The men all nod in understand.

"Thank you, Jose! See, he gets it," I say.

"Whatever. He's only taking your side because you're paying for lunch," Ana says.

"And a damn good lunch. I'm in the mood for shrimp."

"She's an independent woman and wants to get things on her own. I get it, Ana. It's tough being a Grey," my mother says.

"Oh, yes, dear. It's so tough. Our women have it so hard, don't' they?" Dad says. "Tell me, sweetheart. How hard was it when I took you to Italy last month on that private plane?"

All the men high five each other.

"I'm sorry you married into a family of Neanderthals, Ana. Kate, you might want to think twice before going any further with Elliot," Mia warns.

"She's already in too deep, Mia. No woman can resist this?" Elliot retorts pointing to himself.

The women all boo at Elliot.

"My grandson _is_ pretty irresistible," my grandfather says, getting another high five from Elliot.

"Theo, you agree with this?" Adelle asks.

"Nothing wrong with taking care of your wife, dear. Listen, I might have done the same thing about forty five years ago. That first school that offered you a job was in bad neighborhood, so I might have made a donation to that other school that was taking its sweet time getting back to you. I knew you preferred the other school and I wanted to make it happen."

Obviously Adelle didn't know this story from the look on her face.

"That might be where I got the idea," I confess.

"Let's go, ladies. I'll deal with you tonight, Theo. In fact, I won't deal with you tonight at all. You might as well retire those Viagra for the foreseeable future!" Mia and Elliot both make gagging signs and Grace has the nerve to flush in embarrassment.

"Gentlemen, let's table this argument," Taylor says. "I don't need Gail getting any ideas."

"Did you know about this, Jason?" Ana asks him.

"Ana, sweetie, I know everything the boss does."

"And you didn't tell me?" She asks incredulous.

"Or me," Gail says.

"Boys' code," Taylor says.

"Bros before hoes!" Elliot chimes in. That got him a slap upside the head from both Kate and our mother.

"I'm done with all of you," Ana says. "Let's go. Lunch and shopping on Christian Grey today, ladies."

"Yes!" Mia says.

"See! You made my point. Rich girl problems," Jose yells.

"Is that supposed to scare me, Ana? You know how much it turns me on when you spend money," I yell after her.

The women don't respond. Instead they all give us angry glares and start to walk towards the door. I run after my wife, grab her wrist and slam her against my body.

I lean in for a kiss, but it's like kissing an ice sculpture.

"I love you, Mrs. Grey," I say as I nibble on her neck. I get no response. "I said I love you, Mrs. Grey."

"I suppose I love you too," she says with just a hint of a smile this time. "But it will be a long time before you get this again."

"Yeah, tonight is a long time away. I'm making sweet love to my wife tonight, tomorrow morning, tomorrow afternoon, tomorrow night on the plane. You get my meaning."

"We'll see about that," but I can see some of the fight has gone out of her. I see desire in her eyes now.

In the end, I issued my first apology as a married man, but I left out the part where I would do it again in a heartbeat. She forgave me, and we spent the night making love in our bed.

* * *

2 YEARS SINCE THE WEDDING

"Can you believe this shit?" Elliot asks. "It was the perfect evening until she ruined it. Mom and dad had the boys for a sleepover so Kate and I could celebrate our engagement. She just finished riding my face like I was a stallion."

"You can skip that part, Elliot," Ana says.

"Yes, please," Mia says, looking as disgusted as I felt.

"He's right though, yuys. I rode him hard that night."

"Jesus, just get on with the story and leave out the porn. You two are just perfect for each other," I say and they both nod. Elliot grabs Kate's hand, and they intertwine their fingers. Kate's diamond engagement ring catches the light and it sparkles.

"So afterwards, there's a loud pounding on the door. I put on my shorts, grab my baseball bat and run to the door. EJ's mother is standing there." Elliot tells the story of how EJ's mother has returned and wants to see her son.

Everyone in the family is against it. Legally, she has no rights. She gave up all parental rights to EJ. Kate is planning on adopting him as soon as she's married to Elliot. EJ even started calling Kate mommy about six months into their relationship.

"So, are you going to let her see him?"

"The bitch already made sure of it. She showed up on a Saturday morning and told EJ who she was. He was confused at first, but Elliot and I explained it to him. He's asked about her since." Kate says, clearly not happy with this turn of events.

"Get a restraining order on her. I'm sure there's a judge we can convince. One who's up for reelection and needs a substantial campaign contribution, if you know what I mean. Hell, you can just offer her a bribe," Christian says sipping his coffee.

"Christian!" Ana says.

"She said she was sick and finally got therapy. She claims to have had severe post partum depression but says she's better now."

"Is she going to fight you for custody?" Ana asks.

"I'd kill that bitch with my bare hands," Kate says. "I'm his mother, not her. Fucking whore."

"She's not. She says he's better off with me but wants to be able to see him. That's all she wants. She signed away her rights, so that's that," Elliot says.

"But don't the courts usually side with the mother? If she can prove she had PPD, then doesn't she have a chance?" Ana asks.

"Yes, but Elliot's a Grey. She can't take us on. We'd ruin her," Kate says.

Elliot puts his hand on her forearm, calming her down.

"Nobody's going to ruin anybody, Katie. At the end of the day, she gave me my son and if she was ill, she put him first by leaving him with me when she realized she couldn't take care of him. I'm not going to punish her for that. I don't want EJ to grow up and get angry at me for keeping him from her. The more people who love him, the better. Dad says we have nothing to worry about with regards to custody, and she can't afford to fight us. I want him to know her, but only under our supervision."

"Damn right. If that bitch is so much as a minute late for one of these visits, she's done." I guess Kate is not exactly the forgiving type.

* * *

4 YEARS SINCE THE WEDDING

I wake up to a dark bedroom. I reach for my wife only to find her side of the bed empty but still warm.

Knowing exactly where she is, I pull the covers off my naked body and put on my shorts before going to look for my wife.

I don't need to go far. I open the door to the bedroom across from ours to find her sitting on a rocking chair and nursing our three month old son.

She turns towards me and smiles when she sees me. I walk over and sit next to her.

"Why didn't you wake me?" I ask.

"Because you just go back from your trip and you were exhausted. Besides, this is a one woman job," she says pointing to our nursing son.

"You know I like to watch," I say, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Always the perv," she jokes.

"Your perv, baby."

"Damn right," she says possessively.

"This is the most beautiful sight. My wife nourishing our son. Could things be any more perfect?" I ask.

And that's exactly how things have been since we got married. Our family has slowly come back together. We still fight, but our arguments don't last long these days.

Ana and Grace have even managed to form a friendship of sorts. I don't think Ana will ever be fully comfortable with Grace, but things between them have come a long way. It was Grace and Adelle who helped Ana learn how to start her own charity and who guided her when she got on one of the boards.

Mia gave up on a career in the restaurant business and went to law school, much to dad's excitement. She's now a junior associate at his firm and recently got engaged to Ethan Kavanagh, so the Greys are now planning another wedding.

My grandparents are still fighting and Gail and Taylor adopted a little girl named Sophie.

EJ follows Sophie around like she hangs the moon. We all laughed one afternoon when Taylor warned my five year old nephew to stay away from his daughter.

Jose went back to school and is now a professional photographer. He still lives in Ana's house, but now he lives there with his husband, Floyd.

Jose's wedding, which we Ana and I threw for him in our meadow, was filled with drama. Jose's mother decided she would not be attending the ceremony. Jose claimed to have been fine with it until the night before when he broke down in tears at the rehearsal dinner.

No one was able to console him. Not Ana or his father. Not even Floyd.

At the last minute, Mrs. Rodriguez must have had a change of mind, because she showed up ten minutes before the ceremony. Both Jose and his mother broke down in tears, but in the end, both Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez walked their son down the aisle.

By the end of Jose's wedding, both Ana and I were exhausted. On a whim, I whisked her to Napa for a few days to decompress.

About a year after our wedding, Ray decided to sell his house in Montesano and move to Seattle to be closer to his daughter.

"He's back to sleep now," Ana says. I slowly take our son from Ana and lay him in his bassinette. I help Ana up and we walk back to our room, making sure that the baby monitor is on.

"Remember the first time you came over here for Gail and Taylor's shower?" I ask as I hold her in my arms, running my fingertips along her collarbone.

"Mmmhmm," she responds.

"I knew then that you would be the mother of my children. I realized that day that I bought this house for you. I was getting ready for you. And I knew you wanted me too when I caught you snooping in here."

"I was not snooping. I was lost," she says.

"Sure, you were."

"I didn't know what I was feeling that day, but I knew my life would never be the same again. I love you, Christian. It's funny, isn't it? Under no circumstances should our paths have ever crossed, but I ended up working in your building. A location Jose's parents could never have been able to afford if not for your private life going public."

"I think all of this was meant to happen. This was my path to you, baby. I don't regret any of it. I wouldn't change a thing. You are what took me out of the darkness. I love you more every day."

"Not as much as I love you," she says.

"How long do you think we have before our son wakes up again?" I ask her.

"Maybe three hours if we're lucky."

"That's plenty of time. How about I blindfold you, so you can ride sir's dick?"

"Yes, sir," she says as she reaches into her nightstand for the blindfold.

"I can never get rid of this constant craving that I have for you, Mrs. Grey.

 **A/N: And just like that, another story about our favorite couple is complete. I hope you enjoyed these snippets into their future. To everyone who read, followed, favorited and reviewed, THANK YOU! Your support for this story has been incredible. I want to say a HUGE thank you to the ladies in the Sisterhood for doing this challenge way back in March (I think). This story came out of that challenge, so thank you so much. Let's do more challenges! Until Laters!**


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